Baby Steps
by lawslave
Summary: Just what the title insinuates...my favorite couple gets used to life with little Amelia Grace. Eighth story in the 'One of our Own' universe.
1. Chapter 1 - Diaper Daze

_I'm so happy to be back and adding on to the "One of Our Own" universe! When we last left our dynamic duo, they were fresh out of the hospital and adjusting to life with baby Amelia. Well, as any parent knows, that adjustment period never seems to end! This will be a fun peek at Jamie and Eddie's journey through early stage of parenthood with its many, many highs and, hopefully, very few lows._

 _I'm not so sure how far this story will go; I have a handful of chapters completed and a few more ideas forming. If there is anything you want to see, send me a PM and let me know. Posting will not be daily, unfortunately as this is a work in progress. I'm hoping for weekly posts until completed chapters run out. After that, they'll be posted as often as I can write them._

Chapter 1 - Diaper Daze

Boy, how things had changed in the last several weeks.

Eddie knew life would be different after Amelia came along, but as she looked down at the red, unhappy face of her newborn daughter, she realized that she really had now clue how hard all of this would be. "How the heck does everybody else do this?" Eddie cried, using the sleeve of her rumpled t-shirt to wipe at the tears that were flowing down her cheeks. Just as she brought her arm back down, she thought she caught a whiff of herself...God, had she not showered today?! She smelled of old milk! What she would give to bathe and just lay down and close her eyes for a few minutes...and that led to another sob to burst from her lips, which blended in with Amelia's cries as the stress of caring for a newborn hit her all at once as she struggled to soothe her own child.

Two weeks...she'd been home with the baby on her own for only two freaking weeks and she was a complete failure! The first week at home with Amelia had been tiring, but she and Jamie had gotten through it together. Jamie had covered most of the night feedings while he was on leave from work and maybe that was why it hadn't been the hardest thing in the world. But now? Now she couldn't even manage to comfort her own daughter who'd been colicky all afternoon. The crying had been almost non-stop today despite being fed, burped and changed many, many times. Eddie had even called the pediatrician, afraid that something was wrong with the baby, and the nurse - who apparently was used to dealing with paranoid new mothers bordering on hysteria - had gone through a laundry list of questions to determine if a trip to their office was really necessary. But nothing seemed off, except for the incessant crying...well, at least to Eddie it was incessant. The sympathetic nurse had offered her an appointment anyway, but Eddie's gut told her that the baby wasn't sick, just unhappy with her mother. What good was she if she didn't even think to check the baby for fever before she'd even called the doctor's office in a panic over her possibly-sick child? And even if she did, she would have had to break out the thermometer to check; she was sure she didn't even have the ability to confirm if her own kid had a fever with the simple touch to the forehead like every other good mother in the world seemed to do so easily. She was a terrible mom! The baby was crying, the dishes and laundry were piled up and she was pretty sure she'd been wearing the same sweatpants for the last three days. "I just don't know what you want, please just tell me!" she begged the three-week old infant as she bounced Amelia in her arms.

Eddie was blubbering so hard that she didn't even notice Jamie was home until he was walking toward the living room with a look of panic on his face at seeing both his wife and daughter weeping uncontrollably.

"Hey...honey?! What's wrong?! I could hear Amelia crying down the hall!" he said while trying to assess what was happening - was Amelia sick? Did Eddie get some bad news?

Eddie only heard the last words out of his mouth and sprang to her feet with the screaming infant in her arms. "Great! So now our neighbors hate me too!" she sobbed miserably.

Jamie came to a stop and placed his hands on his arms, frowning at both his girls. "What are you talking about? Who hates you?" Jamie questioned her strange comment.

"Amelia! She won't stop crying! I suck at this, Reagan!" she cried with big gulping breaths as if confessing her guilt to her horrible crime - failing at motherhood in just two short weeks.

"What?" Jamie asked in confusion. His wife was not making sense right now and Amelia's screams were probably not helping. "Eddie, come on now. What's wrong? Here, let me take her," he said as he took the baby from her and cuddled the infant in the crook of his arm. "Come on, sweetpea. What's the matter, huh?" he asked as he swayed her left and right to which Amelia immediately began to quiet down. "Yeah," Jamie said, smiling at the fact that he was holding his sweet baby in his arms after missing her and Eddie all day. "That's my girl! Did you miss me?" Jamie cooed as Amelia's eyes finally slipped shut and Eddie's filled with tears.

Eddie couldn't believe he managed to do in thirty seconds what she had been struggling to do all afternoon. "See! I knew it! It's me! How am I supposed to do this on my own for two more months if she doesn't even like me?!" she whispered harshly, mindful of the now-sleeping baby while the tears broke free.

"Eddie, your talking crazy. Amelia doesn't dislike you. She's a baby," Jamie pointed out.

"Yes she does! This is the first time she's quieted down all day and guess who's got her... _NOT ME_!" Eddie argued.

Jamie shook his head as he now had a pretty good idea about what was going on. It was actually something that he'd been meaning to bring up to his wife who'd been pretty cranky the last few days but he'd been a little scared to approach her, not only because he feared having to sleep on the couch but because he didn't want her to feel that he was criticizing her new role as a mother. "Alright, let's take a seat. Come on, babe," he ordered as he pulled Eddie to couch, glancing down at Amelia to make sure she was asleep before turning to his wife. "I know you're exhausted and as much as I wish I could be here to help you instead of being on duty, I need you to know that I can and will help you more while I'm home. I'll cover the night shift tonight."

Eddie wiped the tears from her puffy eyes and took several stuttering breaths as she shook her head. "No, that's my job."

"What do _your_ mean it's your job?" Jamie asked.

"You're working and I'm on leave. I'm supposed to be here with the baby and taking care of stuff," Eddie reasoned. Wasn't that the whole point of maternity leave? It wasn't so she could sit around on her butt all day eating bon-bons...even though that idea sounded pretty heavenly right now.

"And that's the problem," Jamie proclaimed.

"What the hell does that mean?!" Eddie snapped, suddenly feeling defensive. She knew she sucked at this, she didn't expect her husband to start throwing it in her face.

That was the reaction Jamie was hoping to avoid, but couldn't back down now. He took a hold of her hand and kissed, keeping a firm grip on it to convey this was not an attack. "You don't have to do it all, Eddie. You're running yourself ragged and you refuse to let anyone help you!"

Doing too much? She couldn't get most of what she had to do done. Eddie's brows crinkled as she tried getting a response out of her mouth. "Because I -"

"Eddie, come on," he interrupted with a raised brow aimed back at her.

Eddie looked away, embarrassed that she even needed help to take care of her own child. "Everyone else can do it...my mom, Linda, Erin. Jesus, Jamie, your mom had four of you and I can't even handle one!" she criticized herself, her voice dripping with self-loathing as her eyes became watery once again. This was her biggest fear, that she wouldn't be a good mom in a family filled with them!

He might not have a lot of experience with babies yet, but Jamie was pretty sure none of the women she had just mentioned thought caring for babies was easy either, especially when they came without instructions. "I don't know about your mom, but Erin and Linda had my mom to help them when they had Nicky and the boys. I was in high school when Nicky was born; my mom was with Erin every chance she got. And I am certain they didn't hesitate to have Jack and Danny help out. And hello? Have you not met Danny and Erin? I know we drove my mother crazy growing up and that was when we could walk, talk and tell her what was wrong, can you imagine at least two of us in diapers at the same time?" Jamie asked, seeing that he was getting through to her despite her lack of response. "My mom also had Grandma Betty to help her out. Your mom still works but even when she comes by you still try to do everything when all anyone wants is to help so that you can get a break. And Amelia barely begins to fuss before you're scooping her out of my arms to change or feed her," Jamie said.

"You have to be rested and alert to work patrol," Eddie offered lamely as she caressed Amelia's teeny, tiny foot through her fluffy, pink sock. _How could taking care of such a little human being be so hard?_ she wondered.

"And while I appreciate you trying to make my life easier, I'm your partner, especially when it comes to everything involving this little munchkin, and in a few months we'll both be working. We might as well both figure out how to deal with the our little night owl now in case she's still getting up when you go back to work."

"God, please don't even joke about that, Jamie," Eddie said as she dropped her head onto his shoulder. "I can't even imagine...how the hell does everybody make this look so easy?"

Jamie kissed the top of her head, smirking at the messy bun sitting just off-center. "I think they fake it. I've never heard anyone say being a parent was a piece of cake. So I'll take her tonight and on the nights when I don't work the next day. And if you need me to get up more, just tell me. Deal?"

Eddie sniffled and answered begrudgingly. "Yeah, I guess." She knew she needed help, she just felt guilty asking for it. And if she didn't take him up on his offer, she might end up wandering the streets babbling to herself.

"Good," Jamie smiled before daring to point something out to his already sensitive wife. "You know I love you, right?"

"Yeah, I do," Eddie smiled with a sniffle. "I love you too."

"Then you won't get mad if I tell you that you need a shower?" he said cautiously, but hey, if the tables were turned, he'd want her to tell him that he was growing ripe.

Eddie couldn't really get mad - he was right after all - but she still hated to have _that_ pointed out. "If I wasn't so tired, I'd punch you right now."

Jamie chuckled before planting another kiss on her head. "Then a nice, hot bath sounds like a better idea, huh? I'll put one of those casseroles pop sent us in the oven," he said with a gentle smile.

Eddie lifted her head from his shoulder and got up from the couch, too tempted by the thought of a long, hot soak to argue. "Okay," she said as she tiredly shuffled toward the bedroom.

Jamie smiled as he watched her go before turning to his daughter. "Alright, Amelia Grace. Sounds like you were giving your mom a hard time. Already sassing her and you're not even a month old, huh?" he tsked with mock disapproval. The only response he got was a gentle sucking reflex of her mouth as she probably dreamt of her next meal.

Xxxx

Eddie opened the door and smiled at her sisters-in-law. They had called earlier in the day to see if they could come over for a visit and planned to bring dinner with them to make it a girls night in since Jamie was on swing.

"Hey!" the two women greeted in unison.

"I managed to shower and everything for you guys," Eddie quipped. She'd taken a few minutes to get cleaned up and changed before the ladies came over as Amelia slept. She didn't want to look like a complete slob even if it was just Erin and Linda coming over.

"And we appreciate that," Linda replied as she passed through the door, offering Eddie a quick kiss hello before she headed to the kitchen with their dinner. It was nothing fancy, just some stir-fry noodle bowls they could eat casually as they chatted while the aunts fawned all over the tiniest member of the Reagan family.

While Linda and Eddie unpacked the food and got some drinks ready in the kitchen, Erin made a beeline for the living room where Amelia lay quietly in her bouncy chair. Erin remembered what a miracle those things were; Nicky could have sat happily in hers for hours at a time once she'd gotten one. "Hello my princess! How's my Amelia doing?!" she sing-songed as she swept the baby up and practically melted at the feel of the infant in her arms.

Eddie carried three glasses of water while Linda balanced the takeout containers in her hands as they took their dinner to the living room. "She's just dandy today," Eddie reported. Amelia had several long naps today and Eddie had even napped with her in the early afternoon when she admitted to herself that her gas tank was critically low.

Linda placed the food on the coffee table and stepped over to take a peek at her little niece. "Wow. There is still no doubt about who her father is," she laughed while caressing the baby's head.

"Except for her eyes, she is all Jamie," Erin agreed as she nuzzled the soft wisps of honey blonde hair.

"Who knew he'd make such a good looking girl?" Eddie joked while poking at the contents of one bowl. The smell had her stomach rumbling and she realized she'd only picked at her lunch today before having to tend to the baby.

"Ha! I'm sure he'd appreciate hearing that," Linda snickered as she took a seat next to the new mother.

Erin claimed the glider, ignoring her dinner as she preferred to cuddle with the baby instead. Thank God for nieces and nephews; as much as she loved the feel of a baby in her arms, she definitely wasn't willing to start all over again. This was a much better option, she thought to herself as she took in the clear lines of exhaustion on Eddie's face. Newborns were not easy, that she remembered clearly. "So, how's everything going?" Erin asked as she repositioned the Amelia against her shoulder and inhaled her sweet baby scent.

Eddie smirked at the women. God bless them for checking up on her, but it was obvious how they'd ended up here today, just a few days after her meltdown with Jamie. "I'm guessing you've been speaking to my husband and already know the answer to that question," she accused with a smirk.

"Well...," Linda dodged, but Eddie was a smart woman and there was no point in trying to fool her.

"Uh huh," Eddie snorted before taking the first bite of her noodles.

"He was just concerned," Erin said while her attention remained on Amelia.

"Trust me, I know," Eddie said as she poked at her dinner. "I can only imagine what he was thinking when he came home and found both of us in a fit of hysterics. If I'd come home and found him like that I would've called for a bus to take him down to Bellevue."

"Been there, done that. Sean didn't sleep through the night until he was seven months old -" Linda began to say.

"Oh, please don't tell me that," Eddie muttered under her breath. Hearing that made her afraid that could be in the cards for her too.

"And on the nights when he would refuse to go back to sleep after a bottle and I was at my wit's end, I'd cry and beg him to tell me what he wanted," Linda admitted.

Eddie snorted. "That's what I asked Amelia the other day when I couldn't get her to settle down. I think I actually expected her to answer me back."

"You're no different than the rest of us, Eddie," Erin assured her.

"Really? 'Cause from where I'm sitting, you two are the most put-together working moms I've ever seen. You guys make it all look easy," she said, still embarrassed by her own self-proclaimed failures.

"You didn't know us when we were dealing with newborns," Linda reminded her as she ate her dinner.

"First of all, you can't go comparing yourself to other moms and your baby to other kids. It's not realistic and it's only going to make you miserable. What works for other people might not work for you and that's okay. Second, our kids still drive us nuts - for different reasons - but at least they let us sleep most nights," Erin advised. "And she's only three weeks old, Eddie! It's always the hardest in the beginning and with your first to boot. We could have told you everything to expect and still it wouldn't have been enough to make the first few months smooth sailing."

"So this gets easier?" Eddie asked hopefully.

"Sure, once you get the sleep thing resolved, it gets better. Human beings weren't meant to function on little to no sleep," Linda said. "The single smartest thing you can do is take advantage of some free time for yourself when you've got people around willing and ready to watch her for you. Even Jamie."

"I guess I thought that since I'd be at home, I'd have time to do it all. I just didn't realize how hard taking care of a tiny little baby would be. And I didn't want him going to work sleep deprived."

"I agree, that wouldn't be a good thing. But they get time off too and they can pitch in," Linda said.

"Oh yeah?" Eddie smirked, having trouble picturing her brother-in-law pitching in with the boys. "Did Danny help with night feedings?"

Erin laughed and shook her head, recalling a few conversations with her sister-in-law about her brother's contributions at home around the time the boys were still very little.

"Of course he did. Although, sometimes he'd need a swift kick to the shin to drag himself out of bed, but only because that man can sleep like the dead," Linda claimed.

"You must have kicked him a lot," Erin snickered.

Linda grinned; that said it all.

"So what can we help with?" Erin asked.

"Oh, you guys don't need to do anything," Eddie replied automatically. She still felt bad asking them for help.

"You got two doting aunts here, Eddie. What can we do?" Erin said more forcefully.

Eddie knew a losing battle when she saw one, although it really was a win-win for her. "Well, Amelia needs a bath and a bottle," she admitted.

"Perfect! Nothing I loved more than bath time!" Erin declared as she took Amelia into the bedroom.

"I'll feed her after!" Linda called out before going back to her food. "You sit and relax, we got this," she winked at the younger woman. "Just remember one thing, sweetie, as tiresome as it is to have a newborn, relish every second she's this little. Before you know it, she'll be wiggling out of your arms trying to run free. You'll see that they grow up way too fast."

Eddie nodded, sitting back against the cushions with a smile. Despite the stress and exhaustion, she loved being a mother; there was nothing like holding her beautiful baby girl in her arms. But she'd have to find it in her to let go a little and let others help her. As she enjoyed her first full meal of the day and some adult conversation, she relaxed feeling like she might be able to do this after all.


	2. Chapter 2 - Locked and Loaded

_Thank you for all of the reviews to chapter one! Hopefully I can keep the muse going..._

Chapter 2 - Locked and Loaded

Eddie's lips were puckered around her straw as she took a long pull of the peach-mango smoothie in her right hand, moaning in appreciation of the sweet, cold treat she'd picked up across the street from the park where she'd left Jamie and Amelia several minutes ago. She'd forgotten how much she had enjoyed the fruit while she was pregnant, but got a sudden hankering for it when she spotted the sign for the smoothie shop. It was a beautiful summer day and they had packed the stroller with a blanket and all of the basic necessities for their five-week old daughter and headed out to spend the morning hours lounging outside to enjoy some fresh air under the shade of a large oak tree before the afternoon heat set in. Eddie was finally ready to venture out in public with Amelia more, not only because she was trying to be less paranoid of strangers and their germs around her perfectly healthy daughter, but because Eddie would surely lose her mind if she didn't have more contact with the outside world, despite the fact that going out with an infant always turned out to be such a mission what with the preparations and extra time it took just to get out the front door. But today, Jamie was off and they were in no hurry get anywhere, unless, that is, Amelia magically ran through the extra diapers and formula they'd packed for the short outing.

Eddie continued to sip away at her drink as she headed back to their spot, stopping suddenly and narrowing her eyes suspiciously at the athletic, young redhead with the impossibly flat stomach framed between tiny running shorts and a colorful, but not-so-tiny, sports bra who was currently hunched over her husband and child, chatting Jamie up while nonchalantly fingering the edge of her top with what clearly reeked of flirtation... _and maybe a hint of desperation too,_ Eddie snarked to herself, what with the bright and shiny, platinum band around Jamie's ring finger to announce his unavailability and the fact that the jogging path was a solid twenty yards from their shady spot. For his part, Jamie seemed to be focusing on a tranquil baby Amelia who lay on the soft blanket in front of his folded legs clutching his pinky fingers in each of her tiny little fists while he politely responded to the woman's obvious attempts to engage him in conversation and God knew what else.

She wasn't a jealous person, especially not after she and Jamie had finally gotten together. Normally, Eddie would have laughed something like this off without a second thought; she managed to meet the ex-fiance without feeling so much as a hint of jealousy because Eddie knew Jamie only had eyes for her. But as she looked down at the old pair of cut-off shorts and the baggy tank top she was wearing which conveniently hid the baby weight that still remained around her midsection after the pregnancy, her insecurities bubbled to the surface and she exhaled heavily. _Ugh...this is ridiculous,_ Eddie chided as she rolled her eyes at herself and the presumptuous woman before continuing on her way; she wasn't going to let some woman ruin what was turning out to be a relaxing and enjoyable day with her little family. Eddie buried her insecurites deep down and decided a little mischief was in order as she sized the woman up one last time. _Yeah, I could so take her,_ she assured herself as she continued on her way.

"She looks just like you!" the redhead squealed, smitten with the little baby she'd spotted on her jog through the park, but not more so than with the handsome stranger watching over her.

Jamie was hoping the overly-friendly woman would move on after gushing over Amelia, but she seemed firmly rooted next to the blanket and was determined to occupy his complete attention. He nodded while keeping his eyes squarely on his daughter, despite the woman's blatant attempts to draw his attention to her ample assets. He was clearly not interested, plus Jamie had spotted Eddie approaching out of the corner of his eye...they didn't call him 'Harvard' for nothing and he really wanted to see his daughter grow up, so he kept his eyes on the second love of his life. "That's what everyone says. But I think she looks more like my _wife_ ," he said, stressing the last word for the tenth time.

"No, I'm certain she's all you and -"

"Hey, babe!" Eddie interrupted as she slipped off her shoes and took a seat on the blanket right next to her husband, handed him his green apple and kale smoothie without even looking in his direction. "Who's this?" she asked sweetly with a friendly smile aimed at the half-naked jogger.

"Oh..uh," Jamie stammered as he glanced between Eddie and the woman whose name he had already forgotten.

 _Damn it_ , the redhead thought to herself, _he really is here with his wife._ "I'm Bridgette," she replied politely, forcing a smile to hide her disappointment and the discomfort from the knowing look coming from the blonde as she stood to full height. "I saw your daughter as I was running by; she's the sweetest thing."

"Ahhh! Thanks, Bridg, she really is!" Eddie gushed as she turned to rub Amelia's belly and was rewarded with a smile, something she was doing more and more the past few days which thrilled her parents to no end. They'd never grow tired of receiving that kind of response from their baby, especially now that they didn't have to wonder if it was a genuine smile or just gas. "Aren't you, pretty girl?!"

Their new acquaintance was soon stepping backwards as she tried to make a hasty retreat. "Well, it was nice meeting you...all," she said before turning to scamper off in the other direction.

"You too, Bridgette!" Eddie waved while burning a whole in the back of the other woman's head with an intense glare.

Jamie was slurping away at his green drink when Eddie turned to face him with a half smirk on her face. "What?" he asked innocently.

"She seemed nice," Eddie commented, enjoying the way he was beginning to sweat a little and it wasn't because of the weather.

"I didn't look," Jamie blurted out without thinking. There was something about the way Eddie was eyeing him that suddenly had him feeling like a perp.

"Uh huh," Eddie grinned. She spun around on the blanket and stretched out next to Amelia, casually bracing her head on one hand as she waited to see how much digging Jamie did to get himself out of the trouble he thought he was in.

"Really. I was over here minding my own business, taking care of our daughter," he reported.

"I'm sure you were, Reagan," she snickered. And she was, but this was just too much fun.

"I was," he repeated and continued without really thinking. "But I guess it's true what they say."

"What's that?" Eddie asked, her attention already on the baby as she smoothed out the light green onesie she was wearing.

"You know? That babies are like chick magnets for guys," Jamie shrugged.

Eddie slowly raised her eyebrows at him. "Chick magnets? Seriously?"

"Uh...well," Jamie stuttered as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously and mentally berated himself for saying those stupid words...so much for keeping the 'Harvard' nickname.

"Is that what you're calling our kid? Shame on you, Reagan," she admonished lightly.

"I didn't say that! It's what other people say," he corrected.

"Sure they do," Eddie chortled. "You ever try that with Nicky or the boys? Use them as chick magnets when they were young and oblivious?" she wondered. It seemed beneath him, but she was curious nonetheless.

"I didn't know that back then," Jamie claimed.

"And if you did?"

"Of course not!"

"So you say," Eddie snorted.

"I never had to," Jamie began to say as he stretched out on the blanket much like Eddie was and sandwiched Amelia between them. "I knew the girl of my dreams would be waiting for me in front of the Twelfth Precinct one day," he proclaimed as he carefully leaned over their daughter and placed several sweet kisses on Eddie's smiling lips.

Eddie couldn't help returning them as Amelia grunted and gurgled below them. "Nice save, loverboy," she applauded once she pulled away.

Jamie grinned back at his wife as she redirected her attention to the baby and wondered how much time was left on the sex moratorium. He would have to ask Eddie when her follow-up appointment was scheduled for but he knew it wasn't soon enough and decided to quickly change his train of thought before his mind got filled with some pretty inappropriate images starring his beautiful wife, turning to one topic that would have the same effect as dumping a bucket of ice water on his libido. "So, on a more serious note, we still have to finish doing our wills." The worrywart, attorney side of him needed to have all of their ducks in a row in case the unthinkable ever happened - they had to have a plan in place to take care of their little princess. He didn't want to be a pessimist, but it had to get done for their peace of mind.

Eddie let out a heavy sigh as she laid back against the blanket completely. "What a buzz kill you are," she grumbled.

"We can't put it off," Jamie told her, placing his hand across Amelia's belly as she started to settle down and her eyes began to grow heavy.

"I know, I know," Eddie conceded. "It's one of the many grown-up things you gotta do when you pop one of these babies out." She knew it was necessary, but it didn't mean she had to like it. She planned to be old and gray and see her kids raising their kids before she was ready to leave this earth but Eddie knew nothing was a certainty and they needed to be prepared. On the bright side, at least Jamie saved them the expense of an estate attorney by doing all of the work himself.

"Especially with our careers," Jamie stressed.

"Yeah. Okay, well, whoever we pick to be guardians, are they also going to be Amelia's Godparents? We also have those forms to fill out for the parish and we got to get them in soon or we won't be able to sign up for the next baptism class."

"Well, we pretty much listed our whole wedding party as candidates, but I'm sort of leaning toward two people in particular to be both her guardians and Godparents." They'd already had long talks about everyone they would even consider to play such important roles in their daughter's life. The guardian role was a big responsibility for anyone to take on, especially their single friends who they loved dearly but whose whole world might be turned upside down should they someday suddenly find themselves caring for a kid, so family seemed like the best solution.

"Who's that?" Eddie asked, sensing that he might be thinking about the same people she had in mind.

"Danny and Linda."

Eddie smiled, happy they were on the same page as usual. "Me too. You're bother's all rough and gruff but he's a great dad. Amelia's five-weeks old and she already has him wrapped around her little finger."

"I still need to get him to change a diaper though," Jamie said as he shook his head and thought back to that day long ago when he'd been conned into changing Sean and hadn't been warned of the clear dangers of that chore. "If we're not around when Amelia starts dating, at least I know he'd be locked and loaded if she ever brought a boy home," he added, certain both he and Danny could agree on how that particular situation should be handled despite his older brother only having raised boys.

"Oh jeez," Eddie rolled her eyes at the image of the Reagan brothers opening the door on some poor unsuspecting boy with their off-duty weapons clipped to their belts. "But what about Erin?" she asked. Her sister-in-law was completely smitten with the baby too and she hated to leave her out.

"I wanted to list her as a back-up guardian in case Danny and Linda can't for any reason, but she'd be first on my list for Godmother of our next kid."

"Next kid?" Eddie choked out. "You're already thinking about the next one?!" She just wanted to be able to get some sleep with this one.

"You know it's bound to happen, but I'm happy with just one for the time being," Jamie grinned. And Lord knew there would be no more kids until the damn ban was lifted. "So we're set?"

"Not quite."

"What's left?" Jamie wondered.

"So...hypothetically speaking-" Eddie began as she came back up on one arm and gazed at Jamie.

"Here we go," Jamie sighed under his breath. He could tell from the sparkle in her crystal blue eyes that she was up to no good.

"- if something were to happen to me -"

"Oh no," Jamie groaned and dropped back against the ground; he knew what was coming.

"- would you ever get over me and remarry, honey?" Eddie asked with big, pathetic doe eyes.

"Never!" he proclaimed smartly while inwardly reclaiming his nickname.

"You wouldn't remarry?" she questioned doubtfully.

"It would be impossible to replace you!" Jamie said with all certainty.

Eddie narrowed her eyes at him, not quite believing him. "You wouldn't use our daughter as a chick magnet, would you?"

xxxx

Danny opened the front door as the new black sedan pulled into his driveway. It still pained him to think that his sister-in-law had to do away with that sweet silver Porsche she drove, but there was definitely no squeezing a carseat into the sporty roadster. "Hey," he greeted as he stepped over to the rear driver's side door, opening it to remove Amelia and the carrier from the backseat before her parents could even get out of the vehicle. "Look at you coming out to visit your favorite uncle out in the sticks!"

Jamie and Eddie traded amused expressions at the high-pitched voice Danny was now in the habit of using around his new niece.

"What are you guys doing out here on a Wednesday?" he asked while he brought the baby up to eye level and made silly faces at her.

Jamie and Eddie followed him back into the house with the diaper bag and cardboard box they'd brought with them. "I had the day off so we thought we'd come over for a visit," Jamie answered for them.

"A visit?" Danny grunted as he unbuckled Amelia out of her carrier and brought her to his shoulder. She made her usual baby noises as he planted a kiss to the side of her head.

"And we had something to ask you and Linda," Jamie added.

"And we brought dinner," Eddie pointed out, lifting the box of takeout containers in her hands. Everyone knew nothing made Daniel Reagan happier than food.

Danny's eyes lit up. "Baby _and_ food? Well, then, make yourselves at home! Mi casa, tu casa, right?!"

Linda came down the stairs with her sights set on the infant in her husband's arms. "Hey, you two! This is a nice surprise!"

"That's what I was thinking," Danny said as he cuddled Amelia.

"You act like we never come out and visit," Jamie argued as he took a seat on the sofa.

"You don't," Danny and Linda responded in unison.

"But we're not complaining," Linda added as she slipped her hands under Amelia's arms and plucked her right out of Danny's grasp, "especially when we get to see this little one! Oh, yeah, come're my love bug!"

"Hey! I just got her!" Danny protested. His cuddle time always seemed to get cut short by the two grabby aunts.

"And now it's my turn, isn't that right, Amelia?"

"God bless aunts and uncles, Eddie," cheered as she plopped down on the sofa next to Jamie. If there was one thing she loved the most about visiting with family, it was the love and attention they showered on the baby, giving her a small break with no need to worry that Amelia wouldn't be properly taken care of. She was learning to appreciate that more and more everyday.

"So what's up, kid?" Danny asked while still frowning at his klepto-wife.

"Eddie and I wanted to ask you and Linda a question," Jamie answered vaguely. He couldn't understand the sudden nerves he was feeling now that he was here with Danny and Linda. He supposed it was the possibility that they could say no; their boys were in high school and would soon be off to college. It was possible that they wouldn't be up to the task of possibly starting over once they were enjoying the life of empty-nesters.

"Shoot," Danny prompted.

Jamie looked at Eddie, but she only shrugged back, figuring he should be the one to ask. "Well, now that we have Amelia, we figured it would be a good idea to get certain matters in order, especially considering our careers. I mean, I'm sure I don't have to tell you since you've been a cop a lot longer than we have and you already have the boys to worry about."

"What's he rambling about?" Danny asked Eddie as his brow furrowed in confusion at the seriousness of his brother's expression.

Eddie rolled her eyes... _lawyers_ , she sighed to herself. "What he is so eloquently trying to ask is whether you two would agree to be Amelia's Godparents and her guardians if that need ever arose."

Danny looked at Linda who gave him a small smile in return as she gently patted Amelia on the back before turning to Jamie and Eddie. "So let me get this straight...what you wanna know is if we'll take care of this munchkin if something, god forbid, were to ever happened to you two?"

"Yeah," Jamie nodded.

Danny thought for a moment before his face split into a wide smile. "Then why the hell didn't you just ask?! Jesus, kid! You sounded like you were about to propose marriage again or something," he remarked before turning to his sister-in-law and pointing a thumb back at his kid brother. "I hope he didn't fumble it that badly when he asked you."

Eddie crossed her arms in front of her as she thought back to that fateful night after she and the rest of the Reagan clan spent hours worrying about whether Jamie would make it out of the jewelry store heist turned bad. "He proposed in his pajamas...how much more romantic could it get?" Eddie said with a sly grin.

"I'm starting to reconsider asking in the first place," Jamie griped facetiously.

"Don't you dare! We'd be thrilled and honored to be her Godparents! And hopefully we'll never have to deal with the issue of guardianship, but we'll be there no matter what," Linda promised.

"Oh, there is so much I have to teach her!" Danny proclaimed as he gently snatched Amelia back from his wife. "Isn't that right, pumpkin? First, we gotta work on your jump shot...you know, I never could get your daddy to follow through like I taught him. Maybe you'll be a better student."

"What about when she starts dating?" Jamie quipped.

"Locked and loaded, little brother," Danny chuckled. "But first, I'm gonna make sure she knows how to knee a boy where it hurts most in case anyone of them ever steps out of bounds."

Jamie sank back against the cushions of the couch and continued to watch his older brother chatting with his infant daughter, assured that she'd be well taken care of no matter what life had in store for them.

* * *

 _Uncle Danny will be a giant marshmallow in this story whenever he around his niece and considering she's the star here, there will be lots of ooey, gooey Danny Reagan in this one, something we never get to see on the show...which makes me wonder how they would have written him on the show if he'd had a daughter instead of two boys?_

 _Next up, the moratorium is lifted!_


	3. Chapter 3 - Like Two Ships in the Night

_Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone that has taken the time to leave a review! I'm sorry I have not been able to respond to all of you, but they are much appreciated, as always._

 _Hope you enjoy this chapter..._

Chapter 3 - Like Two Ships in the Night

There was a bit of a swagger to Jamie's stride as he walked up the block on his way home from work carrying an expensive bottle of red wine that he planned to consume in its entirety with his one and only true love. It had been a hell of a day, dealing with one stupid criminal after another, but none more so than the pothead who had tried robbing the Chinese restaurant where four cops were having lunch. Jamie didn't even get to enjoy his Moo Goo Gai Pan; the steaming entree had just been placed in front of him when a raucous at the front of the restaurant caught the attention of every patron in the packed eatery. Not only had the dummy chosen to rob a place with about thirty witnesses, but he chose one that cops frequented everyday. His damn RMP was even parked out front, for crying out loud!

With his meal time used up without so much as taking a single bite of his lunch, he had nothing to get him through the rest of tour other than the thought of seeing his girls at home later that afternoon...that was until Eddie texted had him. And while he always looked forward to going home, he now had an extra incentive that had him thinking that maybe, just maybe, this wouldn't be such a forgettable day after all. That's because Eddie went for her six-week post-partum check-up today with her OB/GYN and had reported back that everything was A-Okay with _two_ thumbs-up emojis which meant one thing in the mind of this healthy, red-blooded young man who'd longed for the more intimate company of his beautiful wife for weeks: they had the green light and and were back in business!

Jamie had been so utterly consumed with his beautiful baby girl as Eddie and Amelia were being discharged from the hospital that the six-week restriction on sex had barely registered in his mind when Dr. Denton had gone over post-partum care. And he'd been fine for the first several weeks; getting used to a newborn was enough to keep them both thoroughly occupied and tired. But soon, Jamie began to miss the intimacy more than he would ever care to admit, which he thought was odd considering how little dating he did before he and Eddie got together. But he guessed it was easier to miss something you were used to doing on a regular basis. And being happier and more in love with his wife than ever before made it that much harder. But now? Now they were home free and Jamie was ready to celebrate! Except that he forgot two very important facts as his mind debated between the things he wanted to do to Eddie first: the six-week old baby girl that now shared their bedroom and that said six-week old baby girl still made the focus of his fantasies utterly exhausted these days.

Jamie blinked in surprise when he suddenly found himself standing in front of his apartment door; he must have been on auto-pilot the whole way home while he mused over the afternoon's anticipated activities. He quickly opened the door and made his way in, searching the apartment for Eddie and feeling slightly disappointed when he didn't spot her immediately...for some crazy reason, he kind of expected her to be waiting for him when he got home...in one of those sexy little nighties she wore for home before they stopping fitting over her growing belly. "Hey, babe?" I'm home!" he announced loudly while dropping his duffle bag on the floor. Jamie was about to call out again when Eddie came rushing out of the bedroom.

"Keep it down!" she ordered in a harsh whisper, ready to pounce on anyone who dared to undo all of her hard work. "I just got Amelia down for a nap," she explained more calmly, leaving Jamie hanging while she walked right past him as he leaned in for a kiss hello.

Jamie turned his frown upside down as he realized the one person he hadn't considered in all of this was conveniently asleep. "Oh, yeah?" he asked coyly as the grin on his face grew wider.

"Yeah," Eddie said as she began the chore of washing the bottle she'd brought back from the bedroom along with a few others she had soaking in the sink, oblivious to the desire in her husband's intense gaze as she thought only of the long, hot shower she was going to take as soon as she was done in the kitchen.

Jamie placed the bottle of wine on the counter and moved behind Eddie, slipping his hands around her waist and placing a kiss on her cheek. "So everything went okay with the doc?" he asked, just to make sure nothing had changed since she had last texted him.

Eddie smiled when she felt him drop his head onto her shoulder, realizing she hadn't actually said 'hello' after he walked through the door. "Yeah, didn't I text you?" she asked, wondering what else she forgot to do that didn't consist of feeding, burping or diapering a baby.

"Yeah, just making sure," Jamie said happily as he dropped a series of soft kisses along her neck.

"What're you up to, Reagan?" Eddie asked suspiciously, but as one of Jamie's hands slipped under the hem of her t-shirt, she got a pretty good idea about what he wanted. _It's tempting,_ she thought, _but a shower and a nap sound so much more appealing right now...how sad is that?_ She just didn't want to admit that out loud and let her poor, eager husband down.

"Baby's sleeping...doc gave you the green light," Jamie listed as he continued with his ministrations.

"Down boy," Eddie giggled as he hit a sensitive spot behind her ear and she squirmed in his grasp, but sighed sadly at the words she was about to say. "I'm not sure I got much energy in me for a roll in the hay. Amelia was up a few times last night and the outing to the doctor's office got her all out of whack." She also had no clue how he could be raring to go considering how she looked - dressed in her standard uniform consisting of an old t-shirt and yoga pants. The only time she seemed to bother to dress up a little was for church and Sunday dinner and that only really meant throwing on a blouse and slacks and running a brush through her hair.

"I'll do all the work," Jamie offered quickly as he hugged her tight.

Eddie dried her hands and pulled away enough so that she could turn around in his arms and face him. "So what? You just want me to lie there, Reagan?" she asked with a smirk.

"No," Jamie snorted. "Just let me," he said in a low, husky voice, pausing to finally kiss her properly on the lips. Feeling Eddie begin to sway his way, he finished his sentence before going back for another. "Take care of you." Good Lord, it felt good to kiss and hold her like this!

Eddie's mind went blank...it had been so long since they'd gotten this close to each other and a tiny wave of desire had her forgetting about the shower and nap she had been craving moments ago. Jamie could feel her relaxing against him and his heart skipped a beat, feeling as giddy as a hormonal teenager anticipating a trip around the bases with a grand show of fireworks just as soon as he crossed home plate...

Until Amelia started crying.

Eddie was the first to hear her, pulling away abruptly with a soft curse under her breath as the white noise that had filled Jamie's head throughout that last searing kiss began to clear and he found Eddie frowning back at him. "Oh, man...she just went down," she whined while thumping her head against Jamie's chest in frustration. "She should have been out for longer than fifteen minutes." Eddie gently removed his arms from around her waist and sent him a sad smile before heading out of the kitchen.

Jamie whimpered pitifully, earning a chuckle from his wife - not the response he was looking to get - when he noticed something...Amelia's cries were tapering off. "Eddie!" he called out softly, stopping her progression toward the bedroom right before she stepped over the threshold.

"What?" Eddie questioned as she turned and watched him stand stock still, in the same position she'd left him as his eyes narrowed in the direction of their room.

"Shhh!" he hushed her and met her outside of the bedroom. "Listen," Jamie instructed and they both stood together in the middle of their apartment until there was nothing but silence again. "She went back to sleep," Jamie surmised in a whisper as he smiled and pulled Eddie to him, resuming where they had left off.

But his partner wasn't as receptive as she had been a minute ago as her mommy-senses were tingling and she perceived that nap time was indeed over. "Oh...wait...Jamie," she interrupted his advances.

"What?" Jamie asked as his hands continued to caress her body.

And as if on cue, Amelia began crying again. Both parents remained frozen and looked at each other for another moment, but unlike the last time, Amelia was really demanding their attention now.

"Sorry, Reagan. Looks like you're going to have to hold on for a bit longer," Eddie apologized and turned to tend to their daughter.

Jamie sighed... _so much for making this day memorable,_ he lamented inwardly, and followed Eddie into the bedroom and over to the crib where Amelia was kicking and screaming. "I got her," he offered as he picked up his daughter and brought her to his shoulder where she immediately calmed down as he kissed the side of head. "Might as well make myself useful," he quipped, but he also knew Eddie could use a break even if it didn't involve both of them being naked.

Eddie was thrilled by his response, although she could see the disappointment in his face. She no longer one to pass up any more opportunities to have someone else care for Amelia so she could enjoy a short break. "That's the spirit, babe! I'm gonna grab a shower," she smiled, happy to have him home. She turned and left father and daughter alone as the shower called out to her.

"Oh, sweet pea...what's the matter, huh? You just wanted some time with your old dad?" Jamie cooed as he walked the baby out to the living room and to their favorite chair and laid her in his lap so that they could have a little fatherly chat. "I gotta feeling your mom and I are going to have to get creative with you around, Amelia," Jamie said, getting a soft grunt in response. "Yeah," Jamie sighed with a smile; the disappointment he felt before was gone as he looked down at his daughter's sweet little face.

* * *

Eddie carefully laid Amelia down in her crib and watched her for several moments to be sure she was really out for the count. Thankfully, she stayed blissfully still, sucking at some imaginary bottle in her dreams as her mouth continued to move at an even pace; Eddie smiled, Jamie often said that her dreams probably revolved around food just like her mom's. Satisfied that the baby was out until her next feeding rolled around, Eddie got into bed where Jamie was already settled and reading a book next to his bedside lamp.

"She didn't put up much of a fight tonight, thank God."

Jamie glanced at the crib before turning to his wife who was sliding under the covers wearing a thin, fitted night shirt that left very little to his imagination. Suddenly, the book he had been reading was quickly forgotten and it slipped off his lap and onto the mattress as he rolled over in Eddie's direction. She also turned on to her side and got herself situated as she adjusted her pillow, sighing once she was comfortable. But she was unable to hold back a laugh at the lecherous gaze coming from her husband. "I know that look," she smirked. It was one she was seeing more often these days.

"What look?" Jamie asked innocently as he scooted up next to her. Jamie slid his leg in between hers as his arms snaked around her back pulling her body flush up against his.

Eddie giggled when Jamie was suddenly wrapped around, feeling his obvious excitement as he buried his face against her neck. But as good as he was making her feel, she had not forgotten that they were not alone. "Jamie," she said with a hint of regret.

"Mmmh?" he responded without breaking contact from where his lips had been working to devour her neck.

"Jamie, we can't," she said, her eyes closing as she relished the feel of his hands sliding up and down her body.

"What's wrong? Don't you want to?" Jamie asked as he stopped to give her his most pathetic puppy dog eyes.

"Yeah, but...," Eddie trailed off as she peeked behind her.

"But what, Eddie?" Jamie questioned with an inkling of exasperation, not understanding the problem here. He was so very ready to go.

"Amelia's right there," Eddie stated with a nod to the crib. Could they even do that with the baby in the room?

"She's asleep," Jamie reminded her as he lifted his head to make sure that was still the case, but again, Amelia proved she had impeccable timing as she began to cry the moment her father's eyes landed on her. "Was asleep," Jamie groused as he pulled away and fell on to his back with a small groan of frustration. he was now convinced his daughter hated _him_.

Eddie was quick to get out of bed and lifted Amelia out of her crib. "We can't do that with our daughter in the room, Reagan!" she admonished while gently shushing the baby.

"She's six weeks old and she was asleep!" Jamie whined. Where else were they supposed to go? Well actually, there were several other places in the apartment that they could go, but they were already in bed and Amelia _was_ asleep when he'd made his first move.

Eddie frowned at how much he sounded like his brother when he didn't get his way. "Still, it's weird!" she declared.

Jamie didn't argue. Maybe it was a little weird...he wanted his wife so badly and he may have gotten a little too excited, but the three of them shared a bedroom! _Amelia was asleep when he was trying to get things started and she was too tiny to know what was going on_ , he reasoned. But regardless, the frustrated and irrational part of him suspected that maybe she sensed when her father was up to no good and chose to block his attempts at any fun. What were they supposed to do?

Jamie pulled his pillow over his lap as Eddie got back in bed with Amelia in her arms to calm her down...now _that_ was really weird. "We're gonna need to find a new place, two bedrooms so we can go back to practicing making babies without making babies," Jamie griped as he reached over to brush his hand across the wisps of downy-soft hair on Amelia's head.

"Our lease isn't up for a months," Eddie whispered as Amelia settled back down. Her libido might not be what it was during the pregnancy, but the thought that they had to wait until then to have a little mommy/daddy time was alarming, even for her. _We're just gonna have to get creative_ , she thought to herself.

* * *

Eddie looked in the mirror and smiled to herself; she was feeling like a new woman and would bet the farm she'd be feeling even better by the time the afternoon was over. Her mom was in the city and had agreed to take Amelia for the afternoon while she visited with her sister. The doting grandmother and great-aunt had been tickled pink to have the baby to themselves and as much as Eddie hated leaving her daughter, she was learning to appreciate having family around that she trusted that were ready and willing to watch Amelia for a few hours while she got some things done on her own. 'Errands,' she had told her mother, she had errands to run that would be easier to get done without dragging poor Amelia around the city. Her sitters had not asked for any details during the drop-off as they were too busy cooing at the baby in an attempt to get her to smile, so Eddie had left them to spoil Amelia rotten with promises to return with Jamie sometime before dinner to pick their daughter up.

Eddie had run home and spent the few hours before Jamie was expected back from his day tour soaking in a long, hot bath, taking her sweet time blow-drying and curling her hair and applying her makeup flawlessly despite how out of practice she felt she was with dolling herself up. Eddie slipped into a revealing little black teddy with its matching thong and short silk robe that had always been one of Jamie's favorites before applying the final touch - a few spritzes of a perfume that always drove him a little wild.

It had been over a week since the dreaded six-week sex-ban had been lifted and her poor husband had been eyeing her like a starving man anticipating his next meal...and she kind of liked it, especially considering that she still felt like her body was far from being in the same shape it was in before the pregnancy. But nothing made her feel more beautiful than when she'd catch Jamie looking at her - like she was the most beautiful woman in the world - even when she was dressed like a slob and in need of some serious grooming. And between work schedules and the baby and plain exhaustion, Eddie knew it was important to carve out a little time for them to reconnect.

Eddie was putting on a quick coat of mascara when she heard the front door open and close and smiled to herself as butterflies filled her stomach. _Right on time._ She walked out of the bathroom and to the open doorway of the bedroom, leaning seductively against the door frame as she fingered the edge of the robe which remained open, revealing just enough to get his heart pumping.

Eddie waited until Jamie turned from where he was bent over in the entryway stowing his bag, waiting to surprise him. But it was Eddie that was surprised, because when her husband straightened up, it was with a loud groan as his hand went to the small of his back. And when he turned around, she got a full view of a fat lip marring his otherwise handsome face.

Their little tryst forgotten, Eddie scurried to meet him. "What happened to you, Reagan?!" Eddie asked worriedly as she quickly approached, cupping his face and turning it to the side so she could get a better look. And she hadn't missed the way he held himself stiffly, his hand still bracing his lower back.

Jamie's eyes had widened as Eddie came toward him, stunned by how gorgeous she looked. His aching jaw opened and closed repeatedly as his brain struggled to explain. "Got into a little scuffle with a tweeker," he answered eventually when he got over the sexy little number she was wearing. "Geez, look at you, babe," he said in amazement, then grimaced as a bolt of pain shot down his back.

"Look at me? Look at you!" Eddie replied as she went to the kitchen and pulled an ice pack out of the freezer.

"What's going on?" Jamie asked as he took the ice pack and placed it against his painfully swollen lip, searching the room for the baby. "Where's Amelia?"

"My mom took her for a few hours. She's staying at my aunt's place," she advised.

It dawned on Jamie just what his wife had planned and disappointment flashed across his face. "Oh...and you got all dressed up," Jamie said sadly as he cursed his luck and the even stupider perp.

"Undressed is more like it," Eddie snorted, synching her robe closed.

"For me?" Jamie questioned as he peaked down at his favorite little number.

"For us...we could use a little alone time even if it's only for an hour or two," Eddie said sadly. This wasn't going at all like she planned.

Jamie whimpered as Eddie squeezed his hand. "My back is killing me. I don't think I can-"

Eddie knew by looking at him that he wasn't up for any of the activities she'd planned and interrupted him to ask a more important question. "Do you need to see a doctor?"

"Already did...its just some bruising and some back spasms. Doc gave me a few muscle relaxers in case I started wailing worse than Amelia," he joked.

"Why didn't you call me?" she admonished him.

"'Cause you got the baby and you can't bring her down to a crazy germ-infested ER."

"You're right," she conceded. "But you should have still called to let me know...poor baby," Eddie said as she moved in for a hug, wrapping her arms around his back.

Jamie yelped as his body went ramrod straight.

"Oops! Sorry!" Eddie grimaced as she took a step back. "Where are those muscle relaxers the doctor gave you?"

"In my bag," Jamie answered as he reapplied the ice pack to his lip.

"I'll get them, you go get in bed," Eddie ordered him. "I'll find that heating pad we got somewhere in the closet."

"'Kay...may need your help getting undressed, but not for the reason you and I were hoping for," Jamie said as he gingerly walked to the bedroom. "Stupid meth head," he groused, wishing now that he'd gotten another good shot at the jerk when he'd come barreling at him.

One of these days, he and his wife were going to make sweet, sweet love...just not today.

* * *

Eddie slowly stirred from a heavy slumber as the remnants of a pleasant dream dissipated from her mind. Her eyes fluttered open to find the early traces of another New York sunrise trickling through the drawn curtains of the bedroom. Eddie's eyes fell upon the soft green numbers of the alarm clock signaling a quarter to six and she let her lids fall closed until a quiet rustling had her sitting up in bed and frowning toward the crib in the corner where her daughter lay. Eddie got out of bed and went over to the crib, gazing over the edge where Amelia lay peacefully staring up at the mobile over her bed.

Eddie turned to examine her husband who appeared to be dead to the world, snoring softly after working a swing shift the day before. _Did I get up for a feeding and forget?_ Eddie asked herself as she turned to back toward the baby. _Did Jamie take over?_ she wondered as she scooped the baby up, but by the feel of the very wet and heavy diaper in her hand, the answer to that question was probably a no.

Eddie quietly changed Amelia all the while Jamie continued to slumber nearby then took her out into the kitchen to prepare a bottle. While she waited for it to warm up, she brought Amelia down in front of her, smiling at her beautiful baby girl as she hoped this was a sign of more restful nights to come. "Did you sleep all night long just like mommy did?" Amelia stared back up with the same bright blue eyes as her mother, her lips stretching out into some semblance of smile in response. "You did, didn't you sweetheart?" Eddie beamed back at her. "Oh, baby," Eddie cooed as she brought Amelia up to her chest for a hug and a kiss, "if you can give me a couple nights a week like that, we're golden!" Six hours of uninterrupted sleep on a night when her husband wasn't on baby duty was enough to have her dancing, which she was as she swayed Amelia around the kitchen until the timer went off signaling that her bottle was ready. Sure, it wasn't the recommended eight hours, but when you had a newborn at home, anything over three felt like a miracle!

Eddie felt energized, whether it was from a good night's rest or the hope that this was the start of more normal sleep patterns for their daughter, she couldn't be sure and she didn't care either way. Amelia chugged away on her bottle, obviously starved after missing a meal, and was soon finished and falling back to sleep as her mother burped her against her shoulder.

Wide awake while that baby would probably be out for the next hour or two, Eddie glanced into the bedroom from where she sat and smiled appreciatively at the sight of her husband, bare-chested and looking mighty appealing to her and an idea began to form in her mind, one that would mean waking Jamie but she didn't think he would mind even if he had gone to bed late last night. Eddie scanned the room and put a plan together, but needed to move quickly. She looked down at Amelia; she might be passed out cold after her morning bottle, but she knew better than anyone that it could change in a heartbeat.

After some prep and a few minutes to freshen up and change, Eddie was sliding back into bed or more like sliding across her husband's form, straddling him as she leaned over to whisper into his ear with a gentle nip at his lobe. "Hey...Jamie," Eddie whispered with a subtle shimmy of her hips, which was one sure fire way to rouse him from a deep sleep. "Babe."

"Mmm... wha?" Jamie rasped, clearing his throat as he squinted up at Eddie confused by the early morning wake-up call as he peeked over at the clock. His mind was initially too foggy to notice the return of her sexy little teddy or the way her hair fell in soft curls around her face or even the smoldering look she was sending his way, but soon it all added up and it hit him, his heart racing as the rest of him came to life. _Could it be?_ he asked himself. "Oh, hey," he said just as Eddie came in for deep kiss. _Yup, it was!_ he realized as Eddie's tongue demanded entry into his mouth. Jamie brought his hands to her sides, pulling at the silky lingerie to get to the softer skin underneath. And as excited as he was becoming, he actually had the whereabouts to ask one question after pulling away from Eddie's demanding lips. "Wait, where's Amelia?"

Eddie didn't want to waste a minute of this time and answered his question while her hands and lips continued to pay him extra special attention. "Asleep...in her...bouncy...chair...She's fine." Eddie paused and looked him in the eyes. "You up for this, Reagan?" she asked, smirking at the blatant innuendo.

He was nodding before the words could leave his mouth. "Oh, yeah," he said in a breathy voice while deftly flipping her over. Eddie squealed in surprise, giggling at his sudden resurgence. They didn't have all day and wouldn't be able to indulge in a marathon session liked they'd enjoyed from time to time before they had a baby in the house, but they didn't rush things either, both taking their time to tease, savor and love each other in a way they hadn't been able to in almost two months, all the while constantly sending out prayers that their little angel would remain blissfully asleep and unaware of her parents' activities.

Later, when they were both sated, Eddie lay with her head on top of Jamie's bare chest while he languidly ran his fingers up and down the length of her back. Both sore and happy, she opened her eyes again to peek through the open doorway where Amelia continued to snooze in her chair. She was technically out of the bedroom but within their line of sight and within earshot if she began to stir. _Score one for mom and dad,_ Eddie smirked to herself as the hand on her back finally stilled. She lifted her head to glance at her husband and found him sound asleep again with a telling smile on his handsome face. "Typical," she snorted quietly and laid her head back down, deciding to enjoy a few more minutes of rest before Amelia had them scrambling for clothes and attention.

* * *

 _I can't decide if this chapter was more fun to write or if it was the next one...just two words: Danny, diaper._


	4. Chapter 4 - Poops and Giggles

_Danny Reagan on diaper duty. 'Nuff said._

Chapter 4 - Poops and Giggles

Jamie opened the front door and quickly stumbled back as his older brother barreled his way into the apartment.

"Hey! Did I miss kickoff?" Danny asked hurriedly, hoping he'd made it here in time to catch the beginning of the game. Sure, it was only the preseason, but the whole city was drinking the Kool-Aid and expected this to finally be the year their beloved Jets got back to the big game.

"Hey to you too and yeah, you did. Where were you?" Jamie asked as he closed the door and followed Danny to the living room where his old partner was already settled.

"Got tied up with a witness. Hey, JC," Danny said distractedly as he honed in on the cushy glider on the far side of the room and dropped into it with an audible sigh of relief. He leaned back into the chair and wondered if you had to have a baby to own one of these babies; it was more comfortable than his Lazy-Boy at home.

JC tipped his half-full bottle of Brooklyn Brown Ale at the older Reagan in salute from his spot on the sofa. "Hey, Danny. Good to see you, man."

"Yeah, you too. Where's my beer?" Danny fired back while puzzled about why the matching and equally cushy ottoman wasn't currently elevating his tired feet. He was searching the immediate area for the missing item when his eyes landed on his eight-week-old niece quietly buckled into her little vibrating bouncy chair. The peaceful expression on her tiny face had him also wondering if they made those things in adult-size too.

"Yeah...since you asked so nicely," Jamie smirked and rolled his eyes as he went off to the kitchen to cater to his brother.

Danny's face lit up as he crouched down to get into Amelia's line of sight. "Hey! There's my princess!" he cooed at the infant, much to the amusement of the other two officers. The cheery, high-pitched tone was not one they often heard from the gruff detective, but he'd been smitten with the infant since the day she was born and more so since he'd learned that he would also be her godfather which seemed to really touch him. "Is that smile for me?" he sing-songed back at the infant whose lips stretched into something of a grin, but probably not for the reasons her uncle thought. "Hey, I think she recognizes me already!" he announced proudly to the room as Amelia's little arms and legs fluttered about excitedly at the sound of his voice.

"I think she just has gas," Jamie deadpanned as he approached with an open bottle of his brother's favorite amber ale.

Danny reached out for the beer as he sat back in the chair. "Funny. Where's Eddie?" he inquired before taking a long, satisfying pull from the bottle and eyeing television where the Jet's highly-touted offense was coming onto the field.

"Haley took her out to dinner for some girl time." Haley had correctly assumed that her best friend could make do with a few hours out of the house and Eddie was quick to agree to the invite since Jamie was having the boys over for beer and preseason football; it would only be prudent to take advantage of the situation and make herself scarce to meet her best friend for dinner and drinks.

"So you gotta watch Amelia during the game?" Danny asked.

"I like to think that _we all_ get the privilege of watching Amelia during the game," Jamie countered as his old partner snorted in response.

"No wonder you wanted to watch this over here. I hope you at least got us some food," Danny muttered and leaned back while the baby began to make soft little noises and gurgles as her little fists danced around.

"I already ordered a couple of pies from the joint around the corner," Jamie advised as he checked his watch. "Actually, they should be ready now. I'm gonna head down there and pick them up and get some more beer while I'm out," he said as he gathered his wallet and phone. "Watch your niece for me," he instructed his brother.

"Why not get them delivered?" Danny asked as he eyed Amelia in her chair; she seemed happy now, but what if she needed something? It's been fifteen years since he had to take care of a baby on his own.

"It seems that everyone and their mother is ordering in tonight, so their delivery guy is backed up. I'll be gone like fifteen minutes; what're you worried about? Just watch the baby, Uncle Danny. And you watch Danny, JC," Jamie ordered as he headed for the door.

"You're a real comedian tonight! Get outta here already, I'm starving!" he shouted before turning back to the TV, missing the way the sound of the closing door startled the once-calm baby. "Man, I can't wait for the season to start. There's no good sports on during the summer," Danny complained as he redirected his full attention to the Jets' offense. "I mean, there's baseball, but it's not football."

"That's not true. Ever try watching real _futbol_?" JC offered.

Danny's nose wrinkled in confusion. "You mean soccer?" he asked, to which JC nodded. "Yeah, my kids play soccer. It's alright," he replied with a shrug.

"Alright? Just alright?" JC said in disbelief. He and his brother were huge soccer fans and Vinny always took any opportunity he could to convert anyone who dared to describe the sport as boring.

"Yeah," Danny huffed, feeling like JC was going to try and start the whole American football vs. real _futbol_ argument.

"I gotta get you guys to watch a match sometime! I know this great little bar downtown where a lot of the South American fans get together to watch matches...ninety minutes of non-stop action, eighty thousand people in the stands chanting in unison," JC touted enthusiastically.

"There's plenty of action in American football," Danny defended, pausing to point at the television as one of the Jet's receivers nearly had his head taken off just as his fingertips grazed the football which caused Danny to grimace when he realized that wasn't a good thing for them. "I'll stick to that," he insisted, despite the failed play.

"It's alright, but do you realize how much football is actually played in the three hours it takes to watch the game?" JC asked, bringing up the same stat his brother often gave nay-sayers.

"I gotta feeling you're about to tell me," Danny sighed under his breath and took a few large chugs from his bottle.

"Eleven minutes!" JC proclaimed and smirked at the exaggerated eye roll he got in response. "You know it's true."

"Yeah, yeah," Danny mumbled as Amelia began to wiggle around restlessly in her chair and her once soft, pleasant gurgles turned into unhappy mewls.

JC paused just as he was bringing the bottle back up to his lips. "Uh oh...What's wrong with her?" he fretted, hoping the more experienced uncle knew what to do.

"How should I know?" Danny shrugged as his brow furrowed, willing Amelia to settle back down until her father got back but the whimpers only grew louder. "I just got here," he said as he reached down and pushed the bouncy seat up and down a few times, hoping that would be enough to quiet the baby down.

"Well, you're a dad. Aren't you supposed to be able to tell what they need by the sound of their cry?" JC reasoned as Amelia began to do just that.

"I'm not a baby whisperer!" Danny shouted to be heard over the baby. "With my kids, it was hunger, a poopy diaper or gas. I'd pick one and move onto the next when I couldn't get them to quiet down...or I'd pass them on to Linda," he admitted sheepishly.

"Okay...you should do that then," he suggested as Amelia began to wail, her face now a deep shade of red, she squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head from one side to the other.

"Linda's not here!" Danny huffed.

It was JC's turn to roll his eyes at the clueless detective. "Then try one of the others!" he argued. He'd never done more than hold little Amelia once or twice; the bachelor had no clue what else you were supposed to do to quiet down a baby.

"Alright! Alright! Doesn't look like your _other_ uncle knows what to do," Danny directed at the baby and shot JC an evil look while he crouched down again to pick up his niece. Once he stood to his full height, he brought the baby up against his left shoulder, grimacing when she began to wail directly into his ear. "Jeez...alright...there we go," he soothed as he patted her back gently and bounced her around like he used to do with his own boys, but now that he thought about it, that never really worked with them and Amelia didn't seem to be any different as Danny began to fear he might be a little hard of hearing out of the left ear. "What's the matter, Amelia? You hungry? Maybe there's a bottle around here I can stick in your mouth," Danny said as he searched the kitchen counters for a baby bottle.

"I don't think that's it," JC said from where he remained comfortably reclined on the couch, relieved that Daniel Reagan was handling the kid.

Danny raised a brow at the younger man. "And how would you know that, genius?" he grumbled.

"Cause Jamie fed her before you got here," he answered smartly.

"Well, you could of told me that before!" Danny groused as he left the kitchen and paced the living room with the unhappy baby.

"I just did," JC smirked.

"Weisenheimer...okay, so maybe you really are gassy. How about I burp you, huh?" Danny said, picking the lesser of the two remaining evils and sped up the rhythmic patting on her little back, praying that it did the trick. "How does that feel -" he stopped suddenly as an intense warmth spread across the palm of his hand where he was holding Amelia's little bum. "Oh no," Danny groaned as an unpleasant smell also reached his nostrils.

"What's wrong?" JC asked suspiciously.

"I don't think it's gas," Danny stated as he carefully repositioned the baby in his hands and held her out at a distance.

"Then what is it?"

"Take one guess..." Danny grimaced at the immense foul odor coming from such a tiny human being.

"Oh...glad you got that covered, brother," JC replied with widened eyes as he too caught a whiff.

"What?! Me?! Why me?!" Danny questioned while Amelia continued to cry and scowl at her uncle, demanding the appropriate attention.

"Cause you're holding her!" JC reasoned.

"So here!" Danny offered as he neared JC, who pushed himself further into the couch cushions, away from the toxic cloud surrounding the two Reagans.

"And she's your niece!" JC added.

"Yours too if they're referring to you as 'Uncle JC,'" Danny argued, still holding an unhappy Amelia over the other man, barely hearing each other over her wails.

"You're her godfather!"

"Techically not for two more weeks!" Danny argued lamely. He knew he was grasping at straws at this point, but was desperate to avoid the chore he knew was coming his way and even thought about waiting for his brother to get back, but he couldn't stand to see his sweet, little Amelia so unhappy. _Damn it!,_ he thought, _I'm getting soft in my old age!_ He decided to try another tactic before accepting his fate. "You're gonna let this poor, sweet, helpless, little infant sit in her own filth?" Danny accused, trying to instill a little guilt in the other man.

But JC didn't hesitate to use that same ploy against him. "Are you, _Uncle_ Danny?"

Danny snarled at JC but then his expression softened as Amelia's cries and beet-red, scrunch-up little face really got to him. "How about we do this together?" he said in one last ditch effort.

"I've never changed a diaper, man," JC said in all honesty.

"It's been fifteen years since I've changed one," Danny admitted, but unfortunately it looked like that streak would end today.

"So it should be like riding a bike, right?" JC encouraged.

"A bike? Yeah...right...a smelly, disgusting bike," Danny sighed as he began to make his way into Eddie and Jamie's bedroom and to the changing table in the corner while still holding Amelia a good foot away from him. "Alright, fine," he said to his niece. "You better remember who's the better uncle, Amelia. JC was ready to leave you in the lurch."

Danny laid the baby down on the changing pad and buckled the little belt across her torso to hold her securely in place, although it did nothing to help quiet her down and still her fumbling arms and legs. He began to mumble to himself nervously, announcing his every move to Amelia as if expecting a response back. "Alright...changing table...I see wipes, that's good...I think we're going to need a case of those." He opened the lid and pulled out a good five to six wet cloths to have them ready before turning to the small pile of clean diapers. "And I see a diaper." Danny held the little diaper out and flipped it over in his hands amazed by how small it was. "Wow, that thing is tiny...but you're pretty tiny too, huh, baby girl?"

Danny put the diaper down next to Amelia and clapped his hands together as he readied himself to go in. But first, he decided that his suit jacket needed to come off, which he tossed into a heap onto the queen sized bed behind him after which he rolled his sleeves up quickly too...there was no telling what he would find when he went in. With nothing else to stall the inevitable, Danny continued with his nervous, running color commentary, which would provide much entertainment later on. "Okay...well, first we gotta get you out of this pajama thing...Jeez, there are a lot of snaps...And it would be a lot easier to do this if you could lay still, Amelia Grace," he admonished gently as her wails rolled back into soft cries. "Okay, well...Here goes nothing," he said once he had her legs freed from her footy pajamas. Danny pulled the tabs of the diapers, gagging at the strong odor and horrific colors visible to him once the front side of the diaper was lowered. "Oh, Jesus!"

"Everything alright in there?" JC hollered from the living room. Danny was almost certain he heard him snorting out there.

"No! Everything is most certainly not alright! This is disgusting and it's smooshed everywhere and," Danny paused as he lifted Amelia's legs and followed the messy trail she'd made, "oh my god! It's spilling out the top of the diaper!" Danny pinched a clean edge of the diaper and pulled out from under the baby and then snatched one wipe, taking a single swipe across Amelia's soiled little bum before tossing it on top of the loaded diaper to grab another, mindful of his bare fingers and of making any direct contact with the mess. "How the hell does that happen?!...How does poop defy gravity?!...God almighty!...I gotta carry gloves the next time I come over here!...How many wipes does it take to clean up baby doody...The world may never know...Gross! So much for putting this thing back on ya...Now I gotta get you changed outta this thing too!" he complained when he spotted a stain on the back of her pajama. Danny pulled her arms out of the dirty garment and slipped it out from under her before he finished cleaning her up, adding the last wet wipe to the now-monstrous, six-inch pile of used cloths. "Okay. Let's get this on," he said as he concentrated on placing the new diaper under her. "Doh!...that's backwards...Here we go...Tabs up front with the little teddy bear...that makes sense. There!" he said proudly before Amelia managed to land a swift kick into the dirty diaper and mountain of soiled wipes he'd left at the end of the changing pad. "Oh, no, sweetie! Why'd you have to stick your foot in the poop?! So much for that sock too! Oh, God...and you got my finger!" he cried as his thumb was now smeared by way of her sock when he'd taken hold of her foot to prevent another kick. "JC!"

"Yeah?" JC asked with a hint of amusement.

"See if you can find a hazmat bag in the kitchen somewhere!" Danny ordered as he pulled the sock off her left foot and dropped it on the floor next to the stained PJs, promptly pulling another wipe for himself.

A few moments later, JC walked into the room with a white trash bag, his hand flying up to cover the lower half of his face. "Man, it reeks in here!"

"No, sh-," Danny began to say before Amelia's whimpers reminded him that there was a young lady in the room, "you know what, Sherlock."

JC grimaced at the mound of wipes on the changing table as he handed over the bag. "Is it supposed to be that color?"

"How the hell should I know?! They may need to check with her doctor. Nothing coming outta the human body should be that color!" Danny grumbled as he laid several layers of clean wipes over the dirty ones and scooped them up, diaper and all, to dump them into the bag.

"I'll be in the living room," JC said, hoping to make his escape.

"Wait! Where ya going?! At least take the bag! I still gotta dress the kid!" Danny shouted as he threw the bag at JC.

"Hey! Watch it! That's hazardous materials you got in there!" he complained as he tied off the bag to ensure nothing would tumble out and walked out with his cargo much like Danny had held Amelia while on his way into the bedroom.

"Lotta help he is. Alright, Miss Amelia, let's just get you dressed." Danny opened the drawers of the bureau until he found another set of PJs and began to slip it onto the infant. "Alright, ladybugs it is...Sorry if I tug on your arms too much, but you're not really cooperating with me here, princess...Where's you father when you need him, huh?" Danny tugged Amelia's limbs into the clothing, her tiny bare foot being the last one in. "Jesus...What the hell is with these snaps?...Okay here we are...Last one and...Oh, no...How is there an extra one?...Oh, it's not lined up...Well, good enough...If your parents don't like it, they can fix it. Okay, here we go...Snug as a bug in you know what they say...Here we go, yeah. You're a happy girl now, huh, Amelia?" Danny smiled at the baby girl, now that she was calm and content. "Yeah, who's your favorite uncle now, huh?" he asked as he scooped her up and placed her against his shoulder again and went off in search of her pseudo-uncle so that he could hand her off and go scrub his hands under scalding hot water.

Danny was walking out of the bedroom just as Jamie was walking back into the apartment with two pizza boxes and a six pack. "Well it's about damn time!"

Jamie's brows creased in confusion. "What do you mean? I was gone like fifteen minutes," he said on his way to the living room with his brother and daughter tailing behind.

"Do you know what can happen in fifteen minutes?! And your daughter needed you, but I handled it like the pro that I am!" Danny boasted, there was no way he was about to clue his brother in on the panic the chore entailed. "Your buddy, JC, couldn't handle a little diaper action," he ratted out the other man and placed the baby in Jamie's arms as soon as they were free of their dinner.

Jamie studied his daughter; she appeared content but something was different about her and lifted her up to examine the bunched seam of what he noticed was a different footy PJs than the ones she was wearing before he left. "That why Amelia's wearing new clothes? You didn't do the snaps right, Danny."

"Then you figure it out, genius. Isn't that why you went to Harvard?" he fired back as he scrubbed his hands and forearms with soap and hot water. "Besides, I don't think the kid cares."

JC was chuckling at something on his phone as Jamie took a seat on the couch with Amelia, laying her along his lap so he could re-do the snaps on her PJs. "Oh, man...you missed a show, buddy," JC whispered to his friend.

"Show? Did something happen in the game?" Jamie asked while getting Amelia squared away.

"No, man, you missed your brother changing Amelia's diaper...which was really gross, by the way. You might want to change what you're feeding her," JC shared while turning to make sure the other guest was out of earshot and found Danny inspecting his freshly scrubbed fingers at the kitchen sink while muttering under his breath. "I'll show you later," JC promised since they would soon be joined by the older Reagan brother.

Jamie's eyes widened along with his smile as he considered what his buddy was insinuating. "You got video?"

"Oh yeah," JC snickered, but quickly dropped the topic as Danny came strolling into the living room.

Danny leaned over the coffee table and flipped open one of the boxes and tore into the supreme pizza, folding it in half and jamming one end into his mouth. He chewed on his dinner while watching the game for a few moments before noticing that the other two weren't moving, instead they stared intently at the television while trying - but failing - to wipe the smirks off their faces. "What's with you two?"

"Nothing!" the two officers answered in unison which made Danny suspicious, but he was too tired to deal with those two clowns and chose instead to take his beer and pizza and settle back into the comfy glider, but not before using his foot to nudge the matching ottoman back where it belonged. Danny released another long, slow sigh once he was comfortable again.

"Tough day, Danny?" Jamie smirked.

"Like you wouldn't believe," Danny mumbled around another bite, thumping his head against the back of the chair when his Jets fell behind by twenty-one and the Kool-Aid haze began to painfully dissipate.


	5. Chapter 5 - Blessings from Heaven

_Here's the next installment - the baptism. Not sure why I had such trouble with this one; I had the idea but couldn't get the words to flow. Can't say when I'll have the next chapter up, but I'll do my best to get on it!_

Chapter 5 - Blessings from Heaven

Sean and Jack were mindlessly shoveling their dinner into their mouths as their eyes remained glued on the several-years-old but still action-packed superhero movie they'd found airing on television. It wasn't often that they were left to enjoy their Sunday dinner in front of the TV in their grandfather's sunroom, but they were definitely not complaining. The whole family along with Eddie's mother and aunt and several close friends had attended Amelia's baptism after mass. Then they'd all made their way back to Frank and Henry's house for a buffet-style Sunday dinner. With too many people to fit around the large dining room table, Jamie and Eddie had suggested a more casual affair of spiral ham with cold salads and sides that they left prepared the day before so that it would all be ready for them when they came back from church. And that was why people were scattered throughout the house enjoying a delicious meal with even better company.

Amelia had fallen asleep after receiving the first sacrament, squirming restlessly in her godmother's arms while her protective godfather looked on with a keen eye to make sure the infant didn't take a dive into the font much like her father tried doing when he was being welcomed into the church over thirty years ago.

Fast asleep in her carrier upon their arrival to her grandfather's house, her parents were hesitant to disturb her rest and set her down, carrier and all, next to the couch in the sunroom, closing the door to the kitchen and partially closing the French doors to the dining room so as not to wake her as the family set the food out on the table and their guests arrived. Once they were ready, Frank led the group in saying grace, thanking God for their bountiful meal and for the precious new addition to their family and to the church.

Left to their own devices, Jack and Sean had slithered into the sunroom with heavy plates after the adults had headed off in different directions. Aware that there was a sleeping baby in the room, Jack had turned the television on and promptly lowered the volume before he searched through a multitude of channels for something to watch.

Sean, however, wasn't as mindful of his sleeping cousin. "Oh! Yeah, love this part!" he exclaimed as the big fight scene began, oblivious to the fact that his voice caused Amelia to grimace and startle, her little arms and legs flinching at the outburst.

"Shhh!" Jack ordered his brother. Amelia's face scrunched up unhappily and Jack feared she was about to start wailing when suddenly she relaxed and her lips began a gently sucking motion as she remained in a peaceful asleep. Jack glanced through the French doors and breathed a sigh of relief when no one came running. "Zip it, dummy!" he hissed. "You'll wake Amelia."

"Oops," Sean replied as he turned to peek at the baby. "Why'd they stick her in here anyway?" he murmured while going back to his meal and the movie.

"It was the quietest room in the house when we got back," Jack replied around the large bite he took out of his roll.

"You mean before we came in here?"

"Yeah well, now we gotta keep it down," Jack reminded him otherwise they'd never get an opportunity to eat in front of the TV again, something that never ever happened on a Sunday in their grandfather's house.

"She's no fun," Sean remarked. "She jumps at the littlest sound, we always gotta be quiet around her."

"She's a baby, what do you expect, numbnuts?" Jack pointed out, catching the way his brother eyed Amelia. "I think you're just jealous," he realized.

Sean's brow furrowed at his brother's comment. "Of what?"

"That you're not the baby anymore," Jack explained with a smirk. He knew his brother better than anyone and he had definitely played up the baby-of-the-family role every chance he got but those opportunities were now long gone both because he was getting older and because of their new cousin. "Amelia has that crown now."

"Am not!" Sean shot back, his mouth snapping shut when he saw that he caused the baby to jump again.

Jack snorted and shook his head knowingly as he took another bite.

"Why would I care?" Sean argued.

"You care," Jack snickered.

"Shut up, Jack," Sean huffed in annoyance. He didn't get everyone's big-to-do with her anyway, it's not like she was interesting. "What makes her so great? She doesn't do anything."

Jack rolled his eyes at his kid brother. "Again, she's a tiny baby, doofus. She's little and cute and she's a girl. But she won't be small like that forever. Soon she'll be crawling and walking and getting into everything like you did...boy, were you a pain." For as long as he could remember, Sean had been a pain in his butt, always getting into his things and being his usual annoying self.

"Was not! Like you'd remember anyway," Sean threw back lamely.

"Oh, I remember. Everyone thought you were so cute and sweet and innocent, but you were anything but!" Jack said, his voice climbing higher, forgetting himself and the sleeping baby who was now beginning to stir quietly. "You'd come take my toys and everyone let you get your way. I'd have to play what you wanted to play...everybody had to play what you wanted to play ' _cause Sean's just a baby,'_ they'd all say," Jack whined.

Sean was the one smirking now. "Sounds like _you_ were jealous," he accused.

"Shut up...was not," Jack grumbled.

"Was too."

"Idiot."

"Stupid."

"Whatever," Jack sighed while looking back up at the television, now completely miffed that he had missed the best part of the whole movie because of his always-annoying brother. "Just wait 'til she's bigger; she'll be playing with tea sets and Barbie dolls. Let's see you try to tell her 'no' when she asks you to play with her, so you better enjoy her now when she can't walk and talk."

Sean scrunched up his nose at the thought of having to play Barbie with his little cousin. His dad would probably smack him over the side of his head if he denied his goddaughter any such request. "Maybe not, I mean look at Aunt Eddie," he reasoned with a hint of hope in his voice. "She doesn't seem like the Barbie doll type; she said she was a tomboy. Maybe Amelia won't be into the stupid girl stuff." He could definitely see himself throwing the football around with the little girl or beating the crap out of her in basketball.

"Seriously? With mom, Aunt Erin and Nicky around always dressing her up and sticking giant frilly headbands around her head," Jack pointed out and paused to roll his eyes again at his dumb brother. "They'll brainwash her into being girly, the poor thing doesn't stand a chance."

"That's too bad," Sean sighed and shrugged his shoulders, tired of this topic of conversation and much more interested in armored superhero barreling through the sky. "So long as she doesn't make me play dolls with her, who cares?"

"True that," Jack agreed.

Just as those words left Jack's mouth, Amelia began to grunt and squirm around in the carrier.

"Uh oh," Sean muttered with wide eyes and a mouthful of half chewed ham.

Luckily for the two Reagan boys, Jack spotted his aunt stepping back into the dining room to fix herself a plate and drew her attention by calling out to her. "Amelia's up," Jack advised her as she came into the room.

"Of course she is," Eddie commented to herself, amazed by her daughter's inexplicable ability to sense when her parents were either getting ready to eat or enjoy some one-on-one time with each other so that she could begin crying at that very inopportune moment.

"I think she's about to blow, Aunt Eddie," Sean warned as Amelia's face grew red and her grunts began to turn into cries.

Eddie consoled Amelia as she released her from the carrier. "She's either got a dirty diaper and/or she's ready to finish the bottle that put her to sleep at church. Who wants to check?" Eddie threw out hopefully as Amelia quieted down now that she was in her arms, smoothing out the vintage, white cotton smocked dress she was wearing for this very special occasion.

"NO!" the two boys replied in unison, wanting no part in either activity.

Eddie chuckled at her nephews' expressions; she had not expected a different response. "It was worth a try," she said. With a few well-placed pats to Amelia's diaper, she determined that she was still dry and clean and headed into the kitchen where she had the remainder of Amelia's bottle waiting for her.

"Hey! Look who finally joined us!" Henry announced from the kitchen table where he, Frank and Antonija were enjoying their dinner.

"Yes, well, Amelia doesn't like to be left out when there's food around, isn't that right, sweetpea?" Eddie smiled as she reached for the bottle and the bib on the counter.

"Who can blame her? I have never seen so much food squeezed onto one table. I think you will have left overs to last the whole week," Antonija predicted.

"I have no problem with that," Henry proclaimed as he enjoyed another bite of the honey ham.

"Unfortunately, there's no ham in this half bottle for Amelia," Eddie replied as she snapped the bib around her daughter's neck.

Frank wiped his mouth and stood from his seat, meeting his daughter-in-law in the middle of the kitchen before she could leave again. "Let me take her sweetheart, you go make yourself a plate."

"Oh, no Frank, you're not even done," Eddie said with a glance at his plate to confirm that he indeed had not finished.

"It'll still be there. Plus I don't get a chance to do this enough as it is," Frank assured her.

"You sure?" Eddie asked, hating to interrupt his dinner.

"Absolutely! Now give her here. Come to your grandpa, Amelia," he ordered gently.

"Here you go. Thanks, Frank," Eddie said as she stood on her tip-toes to kiss her father-in-law's cheek after Amelia was safely in his arms and then headed back to the dining room to finally fix herself a plate.

"You got it, sweetheart," Frank replied as he settled back down and positioned his youngest granddaughter in one arm and got ready to feed her the rest of her bottle.

From his seat next to Frank, Henry had a clear view of Amelia's little face and chuckled at the way she stared up at her grandfather. "Oh, I know that look," he remarked.

"What look is that, Henry?" Antonia asked from across the table, unsure about whom he was referring to.

Henry saw the same question in Frank's eyes as Amelia eagerly sucked on her bottle, and remained fixated on the face hovering above her. "When his kids were little, they'd go almost cross-eyed staring at that mustache of his," he divulged with a smirk on his face. "Same thing with the grandkids too."

Frank's brows crinkled in confusion and silently told Henry that whatever came out of his mouth next would undoubtedly be an exaggeration of some sort.

"It's true!" Henry countered the silent doubt and turned back to Antonija to continue. "Who can blame them with the big caterpillar plastered across the middle of his face, but I'm not saying there's anything wrong with it. They say it's good for babies to have something to focus on, visual stimulation and contrast and brain development. What better than that 'stache?" he finished with a throaty chuckle.

"Thank you, Dr. Spock," Frank snarked and looked down at his granddaughter who was working fast to finish her own dinner. As he looked down into her wide blue eyes, he noticed how focused she was on his face as she chugged on her bottle, but here eyes weren't quite meeting his...hell, maybe his father had a point.

"It's true," Henry repeated.

"Pop," Frank sighed, hating it when he was right.

"Just don't forget all those times your kids and grandkids tugged on it to see if it was real," Henry reminded him, to which Antonija chuckled.

"How could I forget? That hurt each and every time," Frank admitted as he sat Amelia up on his lap and held her steady with one large hand as he burped her. With her tummy full, Amelia now focused on the voices around her, her head turning between her great grandfather and her grandmother as they carried on.

"Get ready for Amelia to go in for a few tugs," Henry chortled.

"I'll be more than ready this time around," Frank said, although he remembered thinking that with each and everyone one of his children and grandchildren, yet they always caught him by surprise. Little grabby baby hands were the only reason he had ever given a second thought to shaving his mustache.

"I'm not so sure, Frank. If there is one thing I remember clearly is that little hands are very quick. I never could anticipate Edit taking hold of something she should not have been touching. She was a sneaky baby, that one," she recalled before a soft smile spread across her face and her eyes settled on her first grandchild. "It will be both exhausting and exciting to witness this little one grow. I don't know if I will be able to keep up with her once she is walking and running, I could barely keep up with my daughter and I was much younger back then. Every time I look into those blue eyes, I am transported back to when Edit was her age."

Frank pushed his plate away and sat the baby along the edge of the table in front of him. All of that tummy time her parents put her in seemed to be paying off as she continued to hold her head steady as she stared back at her grandfather while she struggled to get an elusive fist into her mouth. "And you remind me of your daddy," Frank told his granddaughter, returning the smile she gave him despite the hand that bobbled in front of her mouth. "That is one of the best things about seeing your grandkids grow up, to see bits of your kids in them along the way while they become their own unique person. It always takes me back to a different time," he said as he looked over at Antonija to share the sentiment. _A time when the whole family was alive and well and didn't know loss like they did now,_ he thought inwardly as a flash of sadness went through him. Today was a day to celebrate his beautiful new granddaughter, but happy events like this also reminded him of how much he missed his mother, Mary and Joe, knowing how they would have relished in seeing the family grow. But it was the little miracle like the one he held in his hands that softened those losses and helped him remember that there was still plenty to be thankful for.

"I am just curious whether she will be a tomboy like her mother. I think every doll Edit got as a child was used for target practice of some sort, especially after her father taught her how to make sling shot," Antonija recalled fondly. "Peter loved his little tomboy, taking her out to throw the football or ride their bicycles on long trails," she said with a sad smile. "She was terrible at ballet and gymnastics but sometimes I wondered if she was faking it so she could play baseball and football with the other boys."

Both Henry and Frank were reminded that they weren't the only ones missing someone today.

"I bet she ran circles around the boys too," Henry chuckled as he pictured a determined and tiny Edit Janko taking on a team of boys in flag football.

"Well, Antonija," Frank began, hoping to lighten the mood, "between you, Erin and Linda, I have a feeling that Amelia will be having tea parties with her dolls and not target practice," he finished, unknowingly sharing Jack's opinion.

"Of that I have no doubt," Henry declared.

"Hey! My goddaughter's up?" Danny asked as he walked through the open door of the kitchen from the back patio where the guys had congregated with their meals.

"That she is, up and fed and ready to enjoy her party now," Frank announced.

"Gimme! My turn," Danny demanded and stepped over to his father with his arms extended and ready to take possession of the baby. "Her godmother hogged her up at the church."

"It's still like a game of hot potato with this little one," Henry remarked.

"Mwahhh!" Danny planted an exaggerated kiss on Amelia's cheek after he plucked her out of his father's hands and secured her to his chest with one arm so that he could complete the task he'd come inside for in the first place - grabbing a trio of longnecks out of the fridge for himself and the guys.

"Do you think that's what he would have been like with a daughter of his own?" Frank inquired, amused by his eldest's uncharacteristically cheery demeanor anytime the infant was in his presence.

"What I would have given to see him raising a girl!" Henry stated. His oldest grandson would have lost all of his hair by know if he was currently raising a teenage girl.

"I heard that!" Danny shot back while shutting the refrigerator door and turning to head back out. He stepped into the warm sunshine, welcomed back by the sound of laughter as Jamie, JC and Renzulli sat around the patio table, their plates empty and forgotten for something funny on JC's cell phone.

"The belle of the ball is finally up!" Renzulli announced when he spotted Danny coming back with a very special little lady. It felt a little strange to be sitting out in the Police Commissioner's backyard throwing back beers with these fellas, but he had been touched when Eddie had extended the invite to Amelia's baptism, telling her sergeant that he was family and had to be there anyway considering he'd seen them through every stage of their careers and relationship. She, of course, also reminded him of the role he played in getting her to the hospital on the day she went into labor. And truth be told, Renzulli was a father figure to them both and they wanted everyone that was important to them and that could be role models for their daughter to be with them today.

Danny placed the beer bottles on the table for the guys before retaking his seat under the shade of the umbrella. "She's rested and fed and," he began and lifted Amelia to visually inspect her diaper, "and clean for the time being. But if that changes, she's going to her dad," he smirked at his brother.

"But you handled it so well when you came over for football," Jamie pointed out with a chuckle. Danny's recent diaper duty was fresh in his mind after a quick replay by JC while he had stepped into the house.

"That was because you abandoned your daughter," Danny accused.

"I went to get pizza for you!" Jamie argued.

"And JC doesn't deserve the title of uncle...he preferred to leave the poor thing to stew in her own filth!"

"I told you, I've never changed a diaper!" JC defended himself.

"It's a good thing I was there for you, Amelia," Danny lauded while playfully wiggling the finger she was clutching in her fist.

"Oh, yeah, you were there alright," JC snickered.

"So how many wipes does it take to clean up baby doody, detective?" Renzulli inquired and received a few chuckles from the other two men.

Danny's brow creased at the odd question. "What'd you tell them, Cruz?" he asked, shooting the younger man daggers at whatever tall tale he must have told the others.

"I didn't have to tell them anything," JC explained while swiping something on his phone before handing it over.

Danny's eyes widened as he watched the video, pursing his lips and shaking his head in disapproval, and a twinge of embarrassment, while the others laughed around him. "What comes around, goes around, Cruz," Danny warned and handed the phone back before the video was even over; he was there and didn't need to relive that experience ever again.

"The running commentary was classic, Danny. I think you missed your calling there," Renzulli quipped.

"It's shocking how wasteful you were with those wipes, Daniel," Jamie tsked. "Remind me to send him a bill, Sarge. Wipes and diapers are expensive."

"Considering what they gotta hold - or in your daughter's case, what they didn't hold - you better not go the cheap route on those things."

"There ain't nothing cheap about kids," Renzulli pointed out.

"Eddie and I are learning that real quick," Jamie said.

"Yeah and they say girls are worse than boys too. Another reason I am thankful for my boys," Danny said.

"Marie and I only have our Adriana and I can swear raising her always seemed to drain our bank account, but looking back, it was all worth it," Renzulli said with a fond smile on his face.

"You got a daughter, Sarge?!" JC blurted out in surprise. He couldn't recall him ever mentioning her before or seeing pictures in his office. Although he hardly ever socialized with the man and his main goal at work was to avoid getting called into his sergeant's office.

"Don't even think about it, Cruz," Renzulli warned. The last thing he needed or wanted was to have anymore guys sniffing around his beautiful Adriana. If it were up to him, she'd still be at home playing with dolls and be forbidden to date despite her age of twenty-two. But she was a pistol, smart too and well trained by her father on how to protect herself when the situation called for it.

JC quickly held his hands up, backing off that subject and silently promising to forget he ever even heard about the Sarge having a daughter.

Danny slapped his brother in the arm and laughed at the image in his mind. "Can you imagine the guys that had to show up at Sarge's house to pick his daughter up for a date?"

"I made sure that I was still wearing my off-duty piece when the boys came knocking," Renzulli said with a look that told them he wasn't kidding. "Much like I figure the kid here will do when some boy comes to pick up this sweet bambino," he added as he leaned over to take Amelia from her godfather's lap.

 _Snatched again!_ Danny complained to himself before letting his kid brother know he'd back him up on that front. "I'll be right there with him too."

"They don't stand a chance," Renzulli snorted before addressing the baby in his hands. It had been so long since he'd been around a baby this small; he had to admit, he really missed it, but he was a long way from being a grandfather, at least if he had any say in it.

"Sure as hell won't," Jamie confirmed. God only knew how his father and sister had managed to raise teenage girls without tearing out all of their hair. He couldn't imagine Amelia as anything but his sweet baby girl.

"And you're gonna be some kinda looker, Amelia. You might as well not date until you're thirty to spare yourself some grief from your pop and uncle over there," Renzulli advised the infant as she worked on chewing her thumb and forefinger before turning to his old boot. "But first, you gotta get through the toddler and grade school years...The stuffed animals and tea parties...princesses and fairytales...the time when everything is either pink or pink and, of course, the Barbie dolls. Oy, the barbie dolls...they always ended up naked with frizzy hair tossed in every corner of the house..."

The three younger men stared back in confusion.

"Just wait until you step on a Barbie doll in the middle of the night...their damn little arms feel like freaking spikes through the soles of your feet!" Renzulli shook away those painful memories and got back on point. "And then there's the other things like clothes and braces and extracurricular activities...ballet and karate and piano. It goes on and on, kid."

"Way to bring a guy down, Sarge," Jamie half kidded. He knew kids were expensive, but he didn't want to think about that now.

JC was awfully glad he wasn't having a kid anytime soon. "Hopefully, I'll be on a higher pay grade before I gotta support a wife and a kid."

"Then you better watch it with all those badge bunnies you hang out with already," Renzulli warned.

"Badge bunnies?! I don't hang out with badge bunnies!" JC argued as he thought of the nice young ladies he dated.

Renzulli and Jamie traded smirks knowing that JC was as bad as Vinny in spotting one out, easily distracted by the flirtation and adoration they showered him with...just like his brother.

"Who?!" JC dared them to name names.

"The redhead with the green eyes," Renzulli said, not quite remembering the woman's name.

"You mean Nicole? She's no badge bunny!" JC defended the friendly woman's honor.

"Nicole's still hanging around?" Jamie asked, remembering the redhead who was a constant presence at one of the more popular cop bars near the Twelfth.

"She's not a badge bunny!" JC declared.

"Come on, Cruz, you met her at a cop bar," Renzulli reminded him.

"So?"

"Yeah, well, and so did Murphy," the sergeant advised him.

"She dated Murphy?!" JC asked in shock.

"And Regetti back when I was still at the Twelfth," Jamie snickered. He'd had a few of his own run-ins with the woman over his first few years on the force. It was funny, now that he thought about it...once he and Eddie got together, even before they went public, Nicole practically refused to meet his eyes when they'd run into her at the bar.

"How old is this bunny?" Danny wondered out loud.

"No one knows," Jamie said.

"But she's so hot," JC whined.

"Well then, you might want to get a little practice in with Amelia here, you know? So you're ready for when you're bunny starts having bunnies," Danny joked.

"What kind of conversation are you all subjecting this newly-baptized child to?" Erin questioned the men as she stepped outside in search of her niece who'd she barely seen today.

"Cruz's love life," Renzulli chuckled.

"Ugh...no offense, JC, but Father McMurray would not approve. And neither does Amelia," she said as she reached for the baby and took her from Renzulli. "Sorry, Sergeant, but I have a room full of ladies waiting to see with this little lady," she said and left the boys to continue their talk.

"Do we need to take a number to get a little time with Amelia?" Henry asked when he saw Erin enter the kitchen with their guest of honor.

"Yes! And my number just game up. She's mine!" Erin asserted as she quickly went through the kitchen. Amelia's grandparents and great-grandfather were the most notorious baby snatchers in this bunch.

"Where'd you finder her?" Linda asked when Erin returned with her precious cargo. The ladies had taken over the living room with Eddie, Haley and Nicky occupying the couch and Erin and Linda sitting in Henry and Frank's armchairs while Eddie's aunt and Marie Renzulli were fully engaged in conversation against the bay window.

"Being corrupted by talk of JC's love life," Erin announced as she kissed her niece.

"I'm not going there," Eddie laughed as she finished the rest of her dinner.

"I love that little dress on her," Nicky commented as she smiled at her cousin.

"It was actually mine," Eddie revealed. "My mom had it stored away all these years. Can you believe it?"

"That you wore a dress as a kid? No," Haley deadpanned.

"Ha ha," Edie droned at her best friend.

"Well she was still a baby when she fit into that, it's not like she had a choice in the matter," Linda smiled over edge of her wine glass.

"Well, it was perfect for today. She got to wear the Reagan Family christening gown for the baptism and her mommy's dress for the after party," Erin said.

"That your dad wore that gown for his baptism is amazing," Eddie said.

"We can thank Grandma Betty for storing it away so carefully and Frank and Mary for starting the tradition with their kids," Linda told Haley and Eddie as Erin and Nicky were well aware of the gown's history.

"Dad and every other Reagan since then has worn that gown," Erin comfirmed as she swayed from side to side with a sleepy baby in her arms.

"That's so sweet," Haley said.

"Danny said it would be the only time his boys would ever wear a dress," Linda mused.

"That was before we reminded him he'd worn it too," Erin added with a glance at Amelia. "She is getting so big."

"Yup, ten weeks already," Eddie noted. "Can you believe it? I feel like I just gave birth yesterday." The last two and a half months had been a crash course into motherhood at first, but she quickly found her stride and the days were passing by too quickly for her liking.

"Wait til she's 18 and heading off to college," Erin smirked with a glance at her daughter.

"Then we'll all be old," Linda proclaimed.

"Oh, Lord. I don't want to even think about that," Eddie muttered.

"Ten weeks? So when do you go back to work Eddie?" Haley asked.

"I still have six more weeks. I took the 3 months maternity leave and tacked on some personal time I had coming to me. I couldn't imagine having to leave her in daycare in just a few weeks...come to think about it, I can't imagine leaving her in daycare in six weeks. I wish I had more time with her."

"It won't be easy, I can tell you that much. I was lucky enough to leave Nicky at home with a nanny but I still managed to bawl uncontrollably on my way out of my apartment building and all the way to work," Erin recalled.

Eddie could already see herself in hysterics when she eventually had to leave Amelia in daycare. "I've become such a crier with this kid. I cried more than she did when she got her shots a few weeks back," she admitted.

"You're no different than every other mom," Linda assured her. "That was me every single time the boys were due for vaccines or scraped a knee. But it gets easier."

"You mean I'll stop being such a neurotic, emotional worry wart?" Eddie asked.

"No," Linda answered honestly. "You'll just learn how to reign it back a little better."

"One of the many wonderful things you learn to do as a mother."

"So I see," Eddie replied with a look of adoration at her sleeping baby. Motherhood might not be all gumdrops and lollipops, but she wouldn't trade it in for anything in the world.


	6. Chapter 6 - Mommy Blues

_Overdue, I know..._

Mommy Blues

Eddie closed her eyes as she inhaled the heavenly scent of the Mustela shampoo she had used to wash Amelia's soft, golden locksthe previous night before planting several more kisses onto the side of her little head while Jamie stood siliently by. The little family of three had gotten up very early in morning for Eddie's first day back to work after four months on maternity leave, which also meant that today was Amelia's first day at Apple Tree Daycare, something that both new parents were struggling with.

Jamie smiled sadly as he watched his wife clutch their infant daughter in her arms. He was doing his best to stay positive, reminding Eddie in the weeks leading up to this day that the baby would be in good hands, although he too had been dreading this. She would be cared for by good people, vetted not only by Jamie himself (and he had a sneaking suspicion a certain high-ranking, mustached grandfather had done so as well) but by the many other officers from both of their precincts who also left their own children in their care. Jamie truly wished they could make due on his sergeant's salary alone so that Eddie could have more time with Amelia. It would ease his own worries about leaving his teeney, tiny baby girl in the care of those who right now were essentially nothing more than strangers, but that was not the case when you were a civil servant living in a city like New York. So he tried burying all of his own fears to spare Eddie who was already on edge over the transition.

"Babe, we're going to be late if we don't get going now," Jamie reminded her as he gently rubbed his wife's back while wondering if he too would get an opportunity to hug his daughter goodbye before they had to leave.

"I know, I know," Eddie murmured as she sniffed Amelia once more. "She smells so good," she whimpered.

"I thought you were excited about getting back on the street. Are you having second thoughts?" Jamie worried. They had discussed this day at length many, many times and he knew Eddie was conflicted between caring for their daughter and wanting to return to work. She loved the job as much as he did, but she obviously loved their daughter more. However, that didn't supress her desire to return to the street which had led to some undue mommy guilt.

"No...not really," Eddie said as she brought Amelia down to gaze into her little round face. The baby was happily chewing away on her pudgy right fist, oblivious to her parents' distress. Eddie's lower lip jutted out pathetically as she wondered if her little girl would be okay once she left. Sure, she was fine now, but maybe she'd realize later that they'd just left her behind, abandoned with no idea if they'd ever be back again. "I don't know...I just don't want to leave her, Jamie."

"She's in good hands. And you know you can call Monica to check in on her," Jamie soothed as he smiled at the friendly caretaker standing by to take Amelia from them when they were ready. The woman appeared to be no stranger to clingy, panicky parents during first-day drop-offs and remained a respectable distance away to allow them some extra cuddle time with their infant daughter. "I already saw you put the center's number on your speed dial. I think you gave them my usual spot," Jamie quipped. The facility encouraged parents to call at anytime to be connected with their child's assigned caretaker, which seemed to help put most of their nervous parents at ease during those first few difficult weeks of transitioning between childcare.

"Look who's talking! I think I got bumped down the list to give them the top spot on your phone," Eddie accused and was proven right when Jamie lokked away, chuckling nervously while rubbing the back of his neck.

"Maybe," he hedged looking at his watch to change the topic, "but we really gotta get going. You don't want to be late for your first day back."

"Alright, alright," Eddie conceded, her eyes softening as they turned back to their daughter. "Bye, sweetie...mommy loves you and I'll pick you up the second I clock out," she promised the smiling baby as she brought her back up for another series of kisses before passing her off to Jamie so he could do the same.

Eddie watched as Jamie said his own goodbyes, wishing she were as together as her husband. Unbeknownst to her, however, Jamie's stomach was tied up in knots just as badly as hers, if not worse, and he was already in need of a couple of the Tums he kept stashed away in his office drawer back at the precinct for stressful days like this. As he hugged his daughter goodbye, he wondered if he'd have a chance at some point during the day to swing by here and check on her. He knew it was a ridiculous thought and that they just needed to get used to this new, normal aspect of their lives, but he couldn't help it.

Eventually, both parents managed to hand the baby over to an awaiting Monica who did her best to assure them that Amelia would be fine, picking up the little girl's hand to simulate a wave goodbye as Amelia returned to munching on her other fist. That only brought tears to Eddie's eyes as she left the nursery, irrationally thinking that Amelia seemed too content to see them leave. But when they ran into a frazzled mother dragging in a reluctant and screaming toddler into the daycare center on their way out, she figured her daughter's silent don't-let-the-door-hit-ya farewell was preferable to that fit of hysterics.

"I hate this...why can't I work and take care of her!" Eddie vented as Jamie walked her to the car.

"Because there would be major PR and liability issues with having the baby ride around in the back of your RMP," he joked to lighten the mood as he glanced back over his shoulder at the front door of the daycare center with a look of longing and regret.

"Wise ass," Eddie muttered under her breath as she came to a stop in front of her sedan and leaned into her husband.

"It's gonna be fine," Jamie laughed as his arms went around her shoulders and he planted a long kiss on her head. "Monica promised to text us updates just to keep us from worrying," he said. "Now, you got roll call to get to and a new partner to break in, Janko."

"Alright," she sighed and lifted her head for a proper kiss goodbye as the first wave of excitement broke through the stress of the morning. She could not deny that she was looking forward to getting back to work. "I'll see you at home...love you."

"Love you too. Be safe out there," Jamie said as he went in for one last kiss.

* * *

"Hey, Reagan!" Renzulli whooped as he stepped out of his lieutenant's office and caught of flash of blonde hair coming out of the ladies' locker room.

"Hey, sarge," Eddie smiled as she turned, happy to run into her boss. She was dying to know who he was pairing her up with and was just about to take a peek at the roll call but now she could get the news directly from her superior.

"Welcome back, Eddie!" Renzulli said as he walked alongside one of his favorite officers. "It's good to see you in uniform again."

"It's good to be back, sarge," Eddie replied, having felt that way once she stepped foot inside the precinct. It seemed that she had been missed as well based on the many warm welcomes she received from her colleagues. She had even been proud of herself when her old uniform fit much like it had before the pregnancy considering that she'd been working hard to get back into shape. But she'd gone back to missing Amelia when she slipped a recent photo of her daughter and husband inside her service cap. "Well, mostly anyway," she said as she tipped the cap toward her boss to share the memento it held inside.

Renzulli nodded in understanding when he too saw the image of his old boot and the youngest member of the Reagan clan. "Missing your little bambina?"

"Like crazy," Eddie admitted, but grinned sheepishly as she went on to confess something else to her boss. "But I'm also kind of excited to be around adults and get back on patrol."

"Well, it's good having you here, Eddie," Renzulli said as he led her into the privacy of his office. "The precinct wasn't the same without you here."

"Awww, sarge! You're gonna have me tearing up here in a second and I can't even blame pregnancy hormones anymore," Eddie joked, but blinked rapidly when she could feel her eyes welling up.

"Let's not go there," Renzulli laughed nervously. Eddie had been great while she rode a desk during her pregnancy, but Renzulli had been on the verge of his own little meltdown when he found her near tears and in labor right in his office, something he would never forget. "Well, I'm glad you're ready to hit the streets. You want to meet your partner before roll call?" he offered, steering the conversation back to the business at hand as he held up the roster for the day shift.

"Yes!" Eddie exclaimed, her face brightening at finally learning who she would be riding with day in and day out for the foreseeable future. She'd been lucky so far in her career as far as partners were concerned - of course, she had married her first partner, but her second partner, Malcolm Burton, had been great as well and remained a good friend. She and Burton had clicked right away and they had a mutual respect for one another. He hadn't been phased by her budding relationship with the PC's youngest at the of beginning of their partnership and she never doubted that he had her back. But there was no chance that they would be reunited since the experienced officer had recently earned his gold shield. "Who is it?"

Renzulli grinned at Eddie's excitement and prayed that he was making the right decision. "Well, it just so happens that this officer's previous partner retired a few weeks back. We've been riding together since then while I tried figuring out who I was going to set him up with, but and I gotta tell you, he's driving me a bit crazy."

"Well that's not a ringing endorsement," Eddie frowned, now woorrying about who he was gonna stick her with.

"Just too much energy if you ask me...never shuts up, mind revolves around food..." Renzulli listed, although that part hadn't been so bad. He and his temporary partner had shared many delicious gyros from his favorite street vendor.

"I could get on board with the latter, not the other two," Eddie stated, which brought a smirk to her CO's face. He loved Eddie like a daughter, but she was very energetic and a complete chatterbox. She was a great cop but too much for him as he got more crotchety with age. Just then, Renzulli was distracted by another officer passing by his office... _perfect timing,_ he thought. "Hey, Cruz! Get in here!" he ordered.

"Yeah, sarge?" JC complied as he crossed over the threshold, doing a double take at the blonde. "Hey, Eddie! Welcome back! I heard you were around here somewhere," he beamed at his friend as he moved in for a quick hug. They saw each other often but the last few weeks had been busier than most for the new parents; it had been at least that long since he'd gotten together with his favorite couple and their little munchkin.

"Thanks, JC. It's good to be back," Eddie said as she pulled out of his arms and recognized the knowing smile on Renzulli's face. She looked between her boss and a confused JC as it hit her. "Seriously, sarge?" Eddie's face split into a megawatt smile as she considered this new partnership.

"What's going on?" JC inquired, completely in the dark about the silent exchange between the senior officers.

"Cruz, meet your new partner," Renzulli announced.

JC's eyes widened comically before an equally blinding smile graced his face. "For real?" he asked and received a nod from his boss. "Alright, sarge! Welcome back, partner!" JC laughed as he patted Eddie in the back.

"A Cruz and a Reagan ride together again," Renzulli sighed. "Oy...don't make me regret it," he warned the pair.

"Never, sarge," Eddie swore, feeling some relief, at least about the whole partner situation. She and JC got along famously and she already looked forward to sitting in the car with him everyday.

"Wait 'til Jamie hears about this," JC said gleefully.

"Alright you two, enough yapping. Now get your butts to roll call before I give you rips for being late," he threatened playfully as he turned to gather his reading glasses and files for the first meeting with his troops. Renzulli smiled as he watched his two officers leave his office, feeling pretty certain he'd made the right choice. He was also sure that a certain sergeant at the 1-5 would be pleased about who would be watching his significant other's back out in the field.

* * *

"So how does it feel being back?" JC asked from the passenger's seat of the RMP. Eddie had asked to drive and had been ready to pull seniority on him if he dared to deny her. Luckily, her new partner was more than willing to share driving duties than a certain handsome, control-freak ex-training officer. She had even texted him a selfie of her and JC in the RMP to deliver the news of their new partnership, pointing out where she was seated.

"Kind of weird," Eddie answered honestly. She had already checked her phone several times during the first hour of their tour for an update on her daughter. Monica had texted once to advise that Amelia had settled down for a nap shortly after they left which had been reassuring, but Eddie was already itching to call the daycare as soon as they went on break while a part of her was telling her to hold off so that she wouldn't come across as crazed momma bear. "Part of me is seriously missing Amelia, especially because I feel guilty about leaving her at a daycare to let other people take care of her...I should be doing that," she said. "But we need the income and aside from that...the other part of me wants to be here. I was really excited to get back to work," Eddie admitted, feeling like a bad mother for wanting a career with a new baby at home.

"You make that sound like it's a bad thing," JC commented, confused by the clear anxiety she was displaying.

"Well, isn't it?" Eddie asked as she brought the car to a stop at a red light. "I mean, I'm a mom now and I'm happy to be out here with you instead of with my four month old daughter," she explained.

"But you got Amelia in a real good place, one lots of other cops use, right?"

"Yeah," Eddie answered.

"So she's in good hands," JC reasoned, but that didn't seem to be enough for Eddie.

"I still can't help this urge I have to run back there and check on her myself. And I also can't help feeling guilty for wanting to work. I like being a cop," she said. "It just seems wrong to feel a little happy about being here and not with her."

"Not in today's day and age," JC remarked as he was reminded of one of his sisters when she went back to work after three short months at home with his nephew. "I'm not a parent or anything but all I can tell you is what one of my sisters told me."

"What's that?" Eddie asked.

"She was never happier than when she went back to work after she had my nephew," JC replied.

Eddie's brow furrowed as she wondered why JC's sister was so happy to get away from her own kid. "Seriously?"

JC could read his new partner and smiled as he explained, not wanting to paint his own sibling as some sort of cold-hearted mother. "She didn't mean that she couldn't stand to be with my nephew everyday or didn't want to be the one to take care of him, but she was thrilled to go back to work. She said she wanted to have adult conversation and some diversity in her day. She wanted a family, but she wanted a career too and wasn't ready to give it up. She's no different than you or all the other working moms and dads out there. And I think it's pretty amazing that people can manage family and a career."

"Yeah...I guess you're right," Eddie said with a smirk.

"Don't worry about so much. If she needs you, they'll let you know and I'll be sure to get you there with lights and sirens."

"Look at you being the voice of reason and compassion for working moms everywhere," she joked.

"What can I say? I'm a sensitive guy," JC boasted.

"Sure you are, sport," Eddie snorted. "Then why don't you got yourself a steady girlfriend? When are you going to settle down, JC? Get married...have a little playmate for Amelia?" she fired back quickly.

"Whoa there, lady! You're sounding like my mother, grandmothers and sisters. And what's the rush? Plus it takes time to find _the_ one!" JC exclaimed.

"I thought Vivian was the one," Eddie commented as she thought of the bubbly brunette JC had dated a month ago.

"I thought so too...that was disappointing," JC lamented.

"You're not getting any younger, JC," Eddie reminded the bachelor.

 _"Central to 12-Charlie."_

"Duty calls," JC smirked, relieved to get pulled out of that conversation as his hand went up to his mike. "12-Charlie, go ahead."

 _"Reports of a 10-50 involving one white male and one white female at 8-3-7 East 6-4 street, Apartment 1-Aplha."_

"Let's get this show on the road," Eddie said excitedly as they finally got their first call of the day.

"Central, 12-Charlie, show us responding," JC radioed in.

* * *

"How's the head?" Eddie asked as she walked up behind her partner in the break room. Their first call together had been a doozy, with a real cast of characters and chaotic enough to have her forgetting her worries while they broke up a fight between a pair of feuding finances who should not make the trip down the aisle.

"Fine," JC grumped as he fixed himself a cup of terrible precinct coffee. "Who knew a shoe could do so much damage," he commented while gently probing the colorful bruise on his cheek.

Eddie grimaced as she got another look at the damage. "It was a five inch platform," she reminded him, unable to hold back a smile. "That thing was like a brick. You got to learn to duck, JC."

"I'm glad you're enjoying this partner," JC said, clearly not amused himself. "Nothing like getting nailed with a flying shoe in the middle of a domestic to give my new partner some jollies on her first day back."

Eddie poured herself a cup of coffe and turned around to face JC. "If it makes you feel better, I got Imelda Marcos all processed while you were checking your mug for permanent scars," she offered.

"Well, there's a plus," JC stated. He wanted nothing to do with that nutty woman.

"You ready to head back out?" Eddie asked, looking forward to more. God, she missed this! Especially after confirming that Amelia was happy and safe during a quick call to the daycare, she felt like she could let go of some of her guilt.

"No," JC said while sipping his coffee.

"No?" Eddie echoed.

"I'm ready for lunch. I think I'm due and I know exactly where to take you to celebrate your return to work."

Eddie's eyes sparkled, this was the best part of tour. "Ooh! Where's that?"

"It's a surprise," JC teased as he threw his half-full cup into the trash bin. "I'll drive, you 10-63 us."

"Deal," Eddie grinned, doing the same.

* * *

"Oh my god!" Eddie moaned, licking the scrumptious barbecue sauce from her fingertips as her eyes rolled into the back of her head. "Mmmm, I forgot how good this place is!" she gushed.

"Still the best Korean barbecue in the city," JC proclaimed as he worked to get the perfect proportion of rice and Bulgogi beef onto his fork.

Eddie swallowed the last bite of her barbeque short ribs, forcing herself to push her plate away. If she ate anymore, she'd never make it through the end of tour. "Hands down! And I can't eat another bite or I won't be of any use to you," she said, pulling out her phone while JC continued to eat, melting when she saw the message and photo awaiting her. "Aww...just got a text from the daycare with a picture...looks like Amelia just finished lunch too," Eddie shared as she held her phone out for her partner. "My baby."

"See, she looks happy," JC smiled back. "You still feel like heading over there to check on her?"

"Of course," Eddie admitted, but she was forcing herself not to obsess and patted herself on the back for only reaching out to Monica one time, although it helped that she was receiving unsolicited updates.

"The guilt again?"

"I'll always feel guilty," Eddie smirked while taking another look at the photo Amelia. "Don't you know it's one of the requirements of being a mother?"

"Is that why my mom is always trying to make me feel guilty about everything?"

"Yup. It's then our job to then lay the guilt onto our offspring so they know exactly how we're suffering."

"Wonderful."

* * *

"Oh. My. God," JC droned, cursing the gods that landed them with this task.

"I guess it's a good thing that I didn't eat all of my lunch," Eddie said as she snapped on a latex glove. "Did you get the tarp spread out over the backseat?" she asked. Eddie eyed their subject, trying to make out the stains all over his coat. The last thing she needed was to spend time after shift ridding their RMP of mystery substances or the remnants of an upset stomach their passenger might feel come on suddenly. Being the mother to a four month old had taught her to prepare ahead.

JC nodded and did the same, turning his head when the breeze kicked up and another waft of the intoxicated homeless man smacked him in the face. According to the manager of the upscale women's boutique they were in front of, the old man seemed to have decided thier doorway was the perfect spot for a nap after drinking his lunch. JC was pretty certain he was about to lose his own meal when his gag reflex kicked in, scowling when his partner snickered over his distress. She seemed unaffected, revealing nothing more than a look that was a cross between amusement and disgust. "How is that not turning your stomach?" he questioned while holding his arm in front of his face. JC didn't even bother to speak in hushed tones to spare the man any humiliation; he was three sheets to the wind and dreaming about his next bottle of gin.

Eddie leaned down to inspect the old bearded man's pockets for weapons and some form of ID before they put him in the back of the cruiser and shuttled him down to St. Vic's Hospital. Aside from his intoxicated state, he was sporting some fresh bruises and cuts that indicated he'd been in a recent scuffle. "Iron stomach...and don't forget that I've spent the last four months cleaning someone else's puke and poop...sometimes off of myself," she said, coming away with only an ID, all the while Sleeping Beauty did nothing more than snore and swat at her probing hands. "But not even Amelia could produce something as bad as that."

"Is this the part of the job you were looking forward to, partner?"

"Yeah, thanks. You couldn't find a better way to ease me back in, could you, Cruz?" Eddie scoffed before turning her head for one last, deep breath of semi-fresh air. "You ready for this?"

"No," JC replied as he leaned over to grab the man by the left arm.

"Okay, Mr. Kazinzky," Eddie announced as she bent over to shake his shoulder, which produced nothing more than an angry scowl for having his sleep interrupted. "Time to take a ride with us."

"On three...1, 2, and 3...Oh! Sweet Jesus!" JC exclaimed as he attempted to keep Mr. Kazinzky vertical without having the man lean all over him.

"Yeah," Eddie grimaced at the odor now surrounding the trio, doing her damnedest to hold him at arm's length. "Now that got to me," she admitted. "I'm definitely taking a shower before I pick up Amelia."

* * *

Eddie had been true to her word, making sure to take a thorough shower as soon as they clocked out. She'd been warned enough about the bugs Amelia was bound to pick up at daycare and she didn't need to add to that by bringing home any of Mr. Kazinky's germs or any others she could have picked up during the afternoon-long visit to the ER. It caused Eddie to arrive at Apple Tree thirty minutes later than she planned, but it was time well spent as far as she was concerned.

Eddie smiled at the daycare employee manning the lobby window, thanking her silently when she was buzzed right in and headed straight for the nursery. Monica was tending to another infant and waved her over to the colorful area rug near the window where Amelia sat in a bouncy chair studying the toy bar arched in front of her as cheerful children's music played in the background. Eddie got down on her knees, her face nearly splitting in half with the large smile that graced her face now. "Hi, baby! Hi, sweetheart! Oh, I missed you so much!" she cooed as she tugged on Amelia's tiny foot. And telling by the excited thrusts of her little legs and arms, it seemed that Amelia had missed her mother as well and rewarded her mommy with a smile and a few gurgles.

"She was great today," Monica proclaimed when she was done with the other child. "She napped well and she really is a great eater."

Eddie laughed as she released Amelia from the seat, hugging her to her chest as she stood up again. "My husband will tell you she's a lot like me in that regard," she said, placing a kiss on the baby's plump cheek. Eddie unknowingly sniffed Amelia's hair, comforted by her sweet baby scent once again.

"She's a very happy baby and I'm hoping it wasn't just her string of visitors that had her in such great spirits all day," Monica commented while she led Eddie to Amelia's crib.

"Visitors?" Eddie asked with a frown, concerned as to who was being allowed in to see her child.

"Yes," Monica confirmed. "Sergeant Reagan stopped by during lunch to peek in on her," she revealed.

Eddie's head pivoted toward Monica as she laid Amelia down, surprised by that unexpected revelation. "He did, did he?" she said as she thought of her very calm and collected husband's attempts to soothe her nerves that morning. Apparently she wasn't the only one feeling some anxiety today and she wondered how forthcoming Jamie would be about his little pit stop when she saw him at home later.

But Monica wasn't done. "Oh, and her grandfathers too," she added. The fact was that all three Reagan men had been nervous about this day in the weeks leading up to it, none of them having any experience with placing an infant of thier own into the care of strangers before. Erin was the only one to offer Eddie assurances about outside childcare backed by her own experiences with hiring a nanny for Nicky when she returned to work. It had helped, but nothing would ever completely do away with all the worries you carried as a parent, especially a first-time parent. And while thorough background checks had been run separately on the center's staff by the Amelia's overprotective father and grandfather, it wouldn't be the family caring for her and that was hard for all of them to accept. The three men had been banking on the fact that thier brief and casual stops by the daycare would give no one reason to comment on them, especially to Eddie, but they hadn't counted on Amelia's assigned caretaker giving a thorough and detailed report on the baby's first, full day to her mother.

That drew Eddie's attention away from Amelia again just as she was about to bundle her up for the trip home. "Grandfathers? As in plural?" she asked.

"Yes," Monica confirmed.

Eddie's brow furrowed while wondering if any other family members had made the trip over here. "Any NYPD detectives stop by too?"

"Pardon?" Monica asked in confusion.

"Nevermind," Eddie sighed, smirking to herself as she threaded Amelia's arms into her tiny jacket.

"That Henry is a real sweetheart. He brought a large tray of cookies for the staff this morning. And he promised more if we took good care of his little sweetheart," Monica chuckled as she packed Amelia's soiled clothing into her diaper bag.

"I bet he will," Eddie replied with a shake of her head. Henry Reagan often banked on the fact that he could endear himself to almost anyone with food. It was how the old man won her heart.

"And the commissioner was sweet as well, I just think he caught some of our other parents off guard when he came by this afternoon. You know how so many of them are police officers like yourself? I suppose they didn't expect to see their boss in here cuddling with one of the infants while his security waited outside."

"I suppose not. It would have thrown me too," Eddie remarked as she made silly faces at the baby. "Sneaky little buggers," she said in a playful tone.

"What was that?"

"Oh, nothing," Eddie replied while slipping a hat onto Amelia's head. "Well, I think we are ready to head home. What do you think, Amelia Grace?" she said, picking the baby back up.

"I can't wait to have her back again tomorrow," Monica smiled as she shook Amelia's hand.

"You're in luck, Monica, because we'll be back again," Eddie promised, feeling more at ease after finding her daughter happy and healthy after a long, stressful day.

* * *

Jamie let himself into their apartment much later than he'd planned as well, having gotten saddled with some scheduling issues with his platoon that had to be dealt with before he could clock out. He was desperate to see Amelia again, his daughter having remained on his mind despite confirming that she was doing well at the daycare earlier in the day. "I'm home," Jamie announced as he dropped his bag, frowning when a glance around the the apartment showed it to be empty and silent.

But Eddie soon made her presence known with a shout from thier bedroom. "We'll be right out!"

Relieved, Jamie slid out of his jacket and headed toward the bedroom, smiling when he saw Eddie and Amelia coming towards him. "Hey," he greeted with eyes solely focused on his infant daughter. As soon as he was within reach, he scooped her out of Eddie's arms and hugged her to him, showerting her with kisses. "Come here, baby!...Hi, sweet pea!...Oh I missed you so much!"

Eddie smirked as she went unnoticed by her own husband, but couldn't fault him. She'd done the same when she'd picked Amelia up from daycare, but it was always fun to tease him. "Hi, honey! It's so nice to see you, too. Oh, how was my first day? It was just peachy."

Jamie smiled sheepishly as he turned to Eddie. "Hi, babe," he acknowledged, dipping his head to capture her lips with his own. "Sorry, I had our munchkin on my mind. How was your day? Really?"

"It was good," Eddie replied as she led him to the living room to take a seat on thier couch. "You know all about JC already."

Jamie took a seat right next to her, placing Amelia on his lap. "Yeah. What were the chances, huh? But I'm glad. He's a great partner and he'll have your back out there." Jamie had been relieved beyond belief when Eddie had texted him the news. Nothing mattered to him more than knowing his wife had a partner she could trust and he knew first hand there were few better than JC, the younger officer had all the makings of a great cop.

"I know he will," Eddie agreed as she reached over and ran her fingers across the soft, short hair on the back of his head. "Finally, I got a partner who let's me drive and can appreciate my skills for picking out the best lunch spots," she joked while trading smiles with him. "Everything else was fine, some of the usual calls I could have done without on my first day back, but it was good to be out there."

Jamie kissed the top of Amelia's head before asking, "You weren't worrying about Amelia all day?"

Eddie pursed her lips, knowing well she wasn't the only one whose thoughts were consumed by their baby. "Of course I was. I couldn't stop thinking about her. I'll confess, I was even tempted to check on her in person," she said, wanting to see if he'd fess up his own.

"Oh, yeah?" Jamie commented, bringing his head down against Amelia's once more to hide what Eddie immediately saw as guilt, but he offered nothing more.

Eddie narrowed her eyes at him. "Yeah. But getting Monica's texts helped a lot. What about you?" she questioned innocently.

"Ditto," Jamie nodded, but refused to meet her eyes. "I thought about her all day, but she's in good hands. We made sure of that."

"Yes, we did. I also remembered that a wise and incredibly handsome man reminded me of the same thing this morning," Eddie remarked as she went back to caressing the back of his neck.

"Smart guy," Jamie mumbled.

"Yup. I mean, it's so silly. We vetted these people and so many other cops use it for their kids, it's not like we need to worry, right?"

"Nope. No need to worry," Jamie agreed as he squirmed in his seat, adjusting Amelia against his chest to hide his growing discomfort.

With no indication that he would confess to his covert lunch time activities, Eddie decided to call him out, but not before a pinching his earlobe between her fingers and tugging on it firmly.

"Ouch!"

"Were you feeling that way before or after you stopped in during your meal break?" she asked with an arched brow.

"Busted," Jamie sighed as he rubbed his ear and planted another kiss on Amelia's forehead before turning to finally look Eddie in the eyes. His expression was pinched while Eddie's was smug and knowing. He wasn't getting out of this. "Alright, I admit it, okay? I was a little panicky but I couldn't help it, she's my baby girl! And it was either that or risk OD'ing on Tums," he huffed while rubbing his stomach which only began to truly settle down once he arrived at home.

"Welcome to parenthood, Reagan. This is the first of many events that will have us turning into crazed, overprotective parents," Eddie laughed.

"Yay," Jamie grumped. This was the part of parenthood that stunk, the part that turned you into a nervous Nelly when your kid was out of your sight.

"Awww, don't feel so bad," Eddie sympathized, knowing he only hit the Tums when stress got his gut churning. "You weren't the only one to pop in unannounced," she offered.

"What do you mean?" Jamie asked in confusion.

"Monica also reported that a certain pair of both current and retired police commissioners stopped by," she grinned.

"Seriously?"

"Yup," Eddie snorted, pulling her daughter from his arms. "Oh, Amelia Grace. What's really in store for you when you start dating?" she teased.

"Don't go there!" Jamie begged, having enough trouble dealing with daycare. "But I promise you the whole wearing-my-gun-on-my-belt thing is no joke! I'm just glad today is over," he said while slumping back against the couch, releasing a tired sigh. "I really did feel better stopping by to check in on her though."

"Enough to keep you from doing it again tomorrow?" Eddie chortled.

Jamie pressed his lips into a tightline wondering about the answer to that same question. "No promises, but I'll try," he grinned, leaning over to lay his head against Eddie's shoulder. "Are you really happy to be back?"

Eddie gazed at Amelia, she was happy and healthy and not pointing any fingers for leaving her earlier...at least not yet. She was fine and so long as she stayed that way, maybe it wasn't so wrong to _want_ to work. "Yeah, I am."

"Good. So am I," Jamie said as Amelia fisted one of his fingers. "I know how much you missed it and how much you hated leaving her, but we can make this work. You can have the best of both worlds."

"So long as I have you two, I got everything I need," Eddie proclaimed, resting her head atop of Jamie's.

* * *

 _Always open to suggestions on this story. Many have been made, just having trouble finding one to get the mojo going. :)_


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